The Convincing of Melody Tasher
by thewhisperingwillowtree
Summary: They say when you meet your soul mate sparks fly. It's something undeniable, irrevocably tying two souls together for eternity. Melody felt none of that. All she felt was a connection, a mere connection. It could have been a connection of friendship for all she knew. But with the truth now out in the open it was undeniable, and it was her job to become a better person. Collin/OC
1. Frustration

Full Summary

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They say when you meet your soul mate sparks fly. It's something undeniable, irrevocably tying two souls together for all of eternity.

Melody felt none of that.

All she felt was a connection, a mere connection. It could have been anything. A connection of friendship, or maybe of understanding or of familial ties. But now with the truth out in the open it was undeniable, and it was her job to become a better person for this boy. This boy that was three years her junior, awkward and unsure of everything in life but her.

It all sounded so crazy, but when confronted with the undeniable facts she had to accept. It's been three years since her and Collin had first met and not much has changed. Sure her _negative_ habits had gotten better, but their relationship stayed the same. Sometimes she really wanted to feel the way about him that he felt about her, but right now she just couldn't. She couldn't bring herself to with their age gap.

But maybe one day that would change. At least, Collin was counting on it.

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Hello all! I'm back with a new story. I didn't have enough room in the summary box so I just finished it in here. I tried writing in third person for the first time and at first it took a bit to get the hang of it and now I really like it and any future stories will most likely be in third.

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Chapter 1: Frustration

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She took a drag of her cigarette, letting the noxious fumes leak into her lungs and trickle into her capillaries. A look of bliss fills her face, and she sighs out loud in contentment.

Since meeting Collin, Melody Tasher had given up a lot of things.

She had given up her old friends and stopped partying every night; she had cut her alcohol uptake down by more than half and she'd completely given up drugs, which was the hardest thing she's ever done. Sometimes she still thought about doing it, but then she remembered Collin and the look of utter hurt and disappointment on his face and realized she just couldn't do that to him.

But smoking was not one of the things she had given up. She couldn't do it, she just needed _something_.

She knew many of the people here viewed her and her mother as Res trash, being the living stereotype of what everyone thinks a modern Native American is: drunk, dumb, and party goers. Like father like daughter, some of them said. Her father had killed someone driving drunk when Melody was seven, and they said she was heading down on the same path based on that DUI she got last year.

Her mother wasn't much better. She was man dependent, as some liked to call it. She always had to be with some guy, and whenever she didn't have one to sleep the night with a look of utter despair filled her face. The woman didn't much care for her daughter, allowing Melody to do whatever she pleased as long as the woman knew Melody was alive. Embry Call knocking on Melody's door three years ago changed her life. Melody knew then that she had to change, because it wasn't just her life anymore. It was Collin's too. Sometimes she got angry for it and took it out on him, but she knew this was for the better even if she didn't always want to accept it.

"I really wish you'd stop smoking," Collin complained, a look of unhappiness sliding onto face. Melody took another exaggerated drag, pulling it deep into her lungs to pull the edge off.

"I've given up everything else. Why can't I keep this?" She cocked an eye brow at him, leaning back against the wall where she was doing her balancing act of sitting on the porch rail. It was her spot of choice when outside.

"Then why are you going to a party tonight with Sarah?"

Melody sighed at how he said Sarah's name. Sarah was her only friend now, everyone else having ditched her, or she ditched them. Sarah had always been there for Melody, and she could trust Sarah with anything. Even if Collin didn't believe that.

"I can't go out every now and then? What's wrong with that? I'm twenty years old Collin. It's not like I never stop partying. I have a job now, and you," she added as an afterthought. "So that's not really an option," she said with a laugh, rolling her eyes.

Collin never said it with so many words, but he really didn't like Sarah. He felt like Sarah was a bad influence on Melody, and the reason why she still occasionally partied and smoked.

"I just want you to be careful," he finally said, giving her a worried glance. "People can hurt you, take advantage of you. I don't want that to happen."

"I've been taking care of myself fine for years Collin. A party isn't going to change anything," she brushed off, sticking the butt back into her mouth.

But Collin understood that a party always led to another one, and usually when Melody was finished partying she was so drunk that she couldn't even walk. Collin held his tongue though, because he knew saying this would only annoy her further.

Collin knew that Melody Tasher viewed him as a kid, some little brother that she had to take care of and pull her act together for. He hated it, because that's not the way he viewed her. He viewed her as beautiful, a free spirit that drifted in the direction she knew pleasure sat at. Whether that just be the words of a kind stranger, a friendship, or something more; Melody didn't care. She lived for all the pleasures in life. Collin had once heard Emily call Melody a hedonist, making the word sound like some type of dirty swear. But when he looked it up it only meant a person who seeks out pleasure.

He sat there staring at her blow puffs of smoke into the air, trying to figure out how to make her finally view him as a man and someone worthy of her companionship. He'd tried everything. When they were at the beach he always made sure to take his shirt off, letting the water drip off of him in a way he hoped came off attractively. Her brows had raised when she first saw it, but then it was like she did a mental shrug and went on to the next visually stimulating thing. He'd tried being manly, emulating the type of man he was sure every girl liked. He made his voice gruffer, something his pack mates found so entertaining that they burst into laughter whenever he did it. He did things that showed off his muscles, chopping some of the firewood for Melody so that she could have it during winter. She had given him a smile, happy in nature, along with a hug. Not even a drawn out hug either, more of a friend zoned hug. The hug hurt him more than anything because it solidified his position in her life.

What made him so different from the guys Melody liked? She had left guys alone for the most part since the first incident almost three years back. But sometimes she got really drunk and ended up sleeping with someone anyway, which still hurt. It hurts a lot.

She always apologized afterward, and made it all about him for the next day or two. He could tell that she really meant she was sorry, although she liked to complain to her best friend Sarah about how sexually deprived she was. Sarah would just say go get laid, and Melody would give a look of longing before scrunching her face and disagreeing. Collin could tell Sarah didn't understand Melody's sudden wish of abstinence two years back, she just went along with it, guessing it was some kind of stage Melody was going through.

Collin had only seen two of the guys Melody had slept with. One they had run into at Seattle. The guy had given her a winning smile, whispering in her ear if she ever wanted another no strings relationship to come to him. That guy had been blonde, an inch or two taller than Melody's 5'5" frame. He was of a medium build and there didn't seem to be any distinguishable facial feature that made him stand out from any other old average Joe. The next one he had ran into at her house. Melody never had sex at her house, but this time she had. Collin had knocked on the door expecting Melody's mother to let him in. He had planned to wait on her bed. But the guy opened the door with a grin, looking him up and down with a leer before jumping in his car, the car Collin had somehow not noticed in his distracted state. This one was a jock with good looks. Collin comforted himself with the fact that he had a better body, but what Collin really wanted to do was kill the guy. Hurt him good enough so that the message was clear that Melody was his and the guy would never come back again.

Collin had excellent control.

"Melody," he whispered. "When will I be enough for you?"

Melody visibly flinched, turning away from him to look down the empty road. "Collin, don't think like that. You're good enough, you always have been."

"Then why won't you give me a chance?"

"Because you're just a kid, a sweet kid, but a kid none-the-less." Collin looked away in frustration, blinking his eyes almost violently.

"When will I no longer be a kid?" he asked desolately, staring down at his clasped hands.

She exhaled loudly, staring down at the porch floor. "I don't know Collin."

Sometimes Melody worried if she'd ever feel any type of romantic emotion with Collin. Collin of all people deserved his happy ending. But she was a screw up, and she hated that she was the reason his life felt incomplete. Sometimes she wondered if she should pretend for him, but Collin always saw through her. He knew every time she bluffed, lied, or tried to hide something from him. She'd stopped lying to him long ago.

"I'm going to be seventeen in a month," he whispered. "I'm almost an adult now."

"I know Collin, I love you."

"Yeah," he said bitterly. "Just not the way I want you to."

Sometimes Collin got frustrated at Melody too.

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This is kind of an experiment. If people think this is doing well I'll continue to post, otherwise I'll just abandon it. I'm not exactly sure about it yet and how others will receive it.


	2. Cigarette Butts

Chapter 2: Cigarette Butts

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"Why don't you let him go?" Sarah asked, staring up at the ceiling with her feet dangling off the bed.

"I've tried," Melody mumbled, her mouth filled of chips. She stretched her back, arching off of her mattress, and gave a sigh of content. "I've even tried setting him up with Lenny, that sweet girl down the road. When he figured out what I was doing he started treating her like the anti-Christ," Melody snorted. It's not like she could tell Sarah that Collin had some weird voodoo stuff going on that bound him to her.

Sarah shoved a chip in her mouth, nodding. "That boy is sweet Melody, and you don't do sweet."

"I know," she groaned, rubbing at her face. "Plus he's young."

Her best friend gave her a suspicious look, as if assessing her. "He's not _too_ young. Not now. There's only three years between you two."

"Four," Melody corrected. "Just these few months will leave us at three years."

Sarah shrugged, and Melody knew it was because it meant all the same to her.

"His mom is just about begging you to date him," Sarah continued on, ignoring Melody's statement. "She sees her son all pitiful chasing you around. She wants him happy."

"I want him happy too. I just- he's like a kid to me."

Sarah stared at her in stark disbelief. "Melody, he looks older than we do," she said gravely.

"That doesn't make it right though!" Melody sat up, clutching a pillow to her stomach and sending her friend a pleading look. "It's the same as when a nineteen year old dates a twelve year old and says in his defense she doesn't look her age." She made sure to use a sarcastic expression, using air quotes when appropriate.

Sarah snorted. "Did you just call yourself a pedophile?"

Melody sighed loudly, rolling her eyes and flinging herself back onto the bed. She might as well be, she thought to herself despairingly. Sarah hurried over to her, dropping the chip bag on her mattress and getting on her knees in front of her. "Melody, I think that boy is in love with you."

The words made Melody feel sick to her stomach. She didn't want to believe that, because that meant hurting him all these years was even worse.

"At first I didn't understand your little clean up act," Sarah said carefully. "But when I met him I did. You guys are really meant to be together." Melody scoffed, but Sarah wrapped her hand around Melody's and patted her comfortingly. "I really do think that! Listen, all those guys you screw around with, they're nothing compared to him." Sarah let go of Melody's hand, climbing up beside her and staring at the ceiling. "I wish I had someone like that. Someone that was so good they'd make me want to clean up my act. He's _good_ Melody."

Which is one of the reasons why Melody didn't deserve him. There was only a handful of guys that selfless, kind, and thoughtful out there. She didn't deserve him, especially since she wasn't one of the handful of girls with the same characteristics.

"Tell me," Sarah laughed. "What would you do if he kissed you?"

Melody shrugged, rolling her shoulders with the motion. "I don't know, pat him on the head? If that made him happy I would kiss him, but I know it wouldn't. Not if I didn't feel the same way he did while doing it."

"I just don't get it," Sarah grumbled. "What makes this different from the time you had sex with that one guy when you were fourteen and he was eighteen."

"You mean the first time I had sex?"

"Yeah, then."

"He was barely legal."

Sarah lets out a choked sort of laughter, shaking her head at Melody. "You have the weirdest morals girlie."

Sometimes Melody wondered about her morals to. Even she understood they were odd and a bit backwards. But when she thought about sleeping with Collin, heck even kissing him, it felt wrong. Like she was taking advantage of him.

"He's never had a girlfriend before," Melody murmured. "He's liked me since he was fourteen, been obsessed with me really. He never got the chance to date." Another thing she could add to her growing list of things she had robbed from him.

"That's not your fault though. You told him yourself to go date people. You said it in hope that he would do it so you could get rid of your sexual frustrations, but you said it."

Melody made a non-committal noise in the back of her throat, not agreeing or disagreeing.

"So either way you're going to this party tonight, right?" Sarah checked, sitting back up and looking down at Melody's face. Sarah always had to make sure, because sometimes Collin would convince her not to go.

"Yep. I said I would, wouldn't I?"

Sarah didn't answer, stuffing chips into her mouth to avoid stating the obvious. Despite the fact that Melody didn't want Collin in any type of sexual way, Collin had Melody practically wrapped around his finger. Melody had given up a lot of things in her life for him, and sometimes Sarah just couldn't understand why.

"Who's gonna be the DD?" Melody mutters, flipping open a nearby magazine that boasted about losing twenty pounds for the summer and how to get a guy in ten easy steps. She didn't need to lose weight, and she could get a guy in two.

"I don't know, we'll figure it out when we get there," Sarah hedged.

Melody didn't even know why she even asked. It was always like this.

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The music pounded into the walls, seeping into her skin. Bodies bumped into her making personal space improbable, but she was used to the feeling of skin all around her on the dance floor. She tipped her shot back, scrunching her nose at the burn in her throat.

"You're fucking hot," the guy shouted over the music. His name was Robert, or maybe David or Bob. She had no clue, they all were the same to her. She was there to drink and dance, and they wanted more. She was tired of spelling it out every time, so now she let them think what they wanted. They'd figure it out eventually.

She didn't bother to nod her response, too busy swinging her body to the music. Collin would break a blood vessel if he saw her right now.

The thought stilled her.

She stumbled, making her way back to the bar. "Hey, Anne!" she shouted over the music. "Give me a Bacardi, heavy on the rum."

The bartender hands it over in a rush and Melody shoots it down, letting it burn all the way to her stomach.

"So do you wanna go somewhere," the guy from earlier whispered in her ear. She barely gave him a glance, calling for another drink. Melody probably shouldn't drink anymore, seeing as she was stumbling around like a newborn calf, but Collin wasn't there to stop her.

She scoped out the crowd searching for Sarah, finally finding her friend in a dark corner making out with some unknown brunette. Sarah always got pretty frisky after a few drinks.

The guy next to Melody didn't seem to be particularly bothered by her silence, running a hand down her back to cup her ass. She debated whether or not if she liked this, before inching away. His face held a look of irritation now.

"Not interested," she murmured. Not with Collin being able to tell whenever she slept with someone. It broke her heart to see the look on his face the day after, and she was sure he felt even worse than her.

"Oh come on, you've been grinding on me all night. Don't play hard to get now," he complained, a flash of malice in his eyes.

She glared at him, shooting back the rest of her drink. "I said I'm not interested." She stared him in the eyes and watched as the rage began to grow in them. Finally, he pulled his hand away and merged into the dance floor, grabbing the closest available female he could find and sending Melody another glare before giving all his attention to his new victim, as if to show Melody exactly what she was missing out on.

Melody sighed in relief, turning her back to him. At least she wouldn't have to deal with drunk scum tonight.

She briefly wondered if she should break up the little party fest in the corner Sarah seemed to be having, but then decided at least one of them should get laid tonight. Melody's head tipped back as she took a shot of straight vodka, her eyes closed in bliss.

The next morning she couldn't recall what happened, or even how she got home. The last thing she remembered was stumbling into the bathroom and puking her guts into the toilet, except she missed and got it all over the wall. She was pretty sure she didn't call a taxi, and her clothes were still on so that meant she didn't sleep with someone last night, thank god. She hadn't had sex in nine months and was getting pretty desperate. So it was only a matter of time before that happened really.

She moaned, curling up in a ball and wrapping the blankets around her, shoving her head under the pillow to block out the light. Her brain felt like it was slowly dying, the gears clogged or something. As if she had much going on up there to begin with.

The door opens slightly and she groaned, the squeaky noise of the hinge making her wince in pain.

"How are you doing Melody?"

Collin. Of course it's Collin. When is it not Collin?

"Collin," she groaned from under the blanket. The covers get pried back from her and she holds tightly onto her pillow to avoid the summer rays.

"I brought you some water, and ibuprofen for the pain," he said helpfully, caressing her upper arm. He always did things like that, little touches here and there that seemed to make him feel better. Melody wasn't one for purposely causing him pain, and touching never hurt anybody least of all her.

She swallowed, her throat feeling dry as she reached out for the sacred offerings.

"Thanks Collin," she mumbled. She sat up to stretch, staring around at her room in disarray. She spotted her black heels from the night before, one was near the doorway and the other in the middle of the room. "How did I get home last night?"

"I picked you up. You were really drunk." Disapproval sat in his voice. Sometimes she felt like she was the child and he the adult if she were to be honest. She'd never tell him that though. He might think that she would be okay with dating him, which she wasn't.

She took a moment to look him over. He was fit, he had been since thirteen and had his first phase. He'd bulked up a little bit throughout the years, less knobby and awkward around the edges. But Melody remembered when she used to see the little boy running across the reservation with his best friend Brady, screaming about girl cooties and the latest cartoon show. Sure, she was young then too. But in childhood four years can seem to be a lot, even now it still felt like it.

"I need a cigarette." She didn't look to Collin after she said it, fumbling around in her purse until she found her box of paradise. She knew what Collin would look like. He would have a scowl on his face, and be biting his lower lip in displeasure.

Sure enough a glance that way showed this to be true. She shoved her window open and sat on the ledge, placing her glass of water nearby.

"What can I do to make you stop smoking?"

She sighed, because she didn't want to be dealing with this so early in the morning. "I don't know Collin." She brought the butt to her mouth and breathed in, sighing in relief.

"You don't need cigarettes Melody."

"I do," she denied, staring into the forest. One of the wolves howled. Collin only cocked his head before ignoring it.

"If I broke all your cigarettes what would you do?"

She felt pissed just by him saying that. "I would be angry, and then go buy another pack."

"And if I broke that pack too?"

Melody scowled. "I probably wouldn't talk to you for a while."

"But would you stop?" he stressed.

"No."

The air deflated from his lungs and he slumped. "You're killing yourself with those."

"Yeah, well I feel like shit without them."

"You stopped doing drugs. You can stop doing cigarettes too."

But cigarettes were her substitute.

"Well maybe I'm too selfish to do that," she said spitefully.

Collin sat quietly, thinking about this. "But you think about me, you care about what I think."

"Collin, I may think about what I can to do for you, but I'm still selfish. I'm not the type of girl that thinks about others often. It doesn't even come to my mind to hold the door open for the old person behind me struggling. If you bring cupcakes over I'm not going to wash the tray for you, and if you're new to the neighborhood don't expect me to bring over a cake. I'd much rather eat that cake myself." She hated saying things like this to him, because he always looked so disappointed, but he needed to hear it sometimes. He held her on some type of pedestal, and every now and then she had to remind him to take her off of it.

"But you put me first," he said in a small voice. "If you didn't then you would be the same girl you were three years ago."

"I still am that girl, she's just hiding."

His hand wrapped around her arm, and when she turned to him a resolute expression sat on his face. "You gave up most of the things you love for me, you may be selfish but not as much as you make yourself out to be."

She snorted, but left his hand there because she knew it would hurt him to push it off. "Why don't you go ask Embry about that?"

Embry put up with her, but he didn't like her. When Collin had imprinted on her Embry had just taken over the pack, Sam deciding on aging with Emily and concentrating on the small family that they were building. Melody was almost positive Embry didn't say anything mean to her because it would hurt Collin, and she did that well enough without anyone else's help.

"Embry is biased," Collin rumbled, the sound coming out his throat.

"Yeah? Well so are you."

She didn't want to smile, but she had to or else Collin would be in a bad mood the rest of the day. She cracked her lips, showing teeth, and rubbed a hand through his hair. The angry expression disappeared immediately and a small smile bloomed on his face. She rubbed a hand down his cheek, before turning back to the window with her heart thumping in her chest, bringing the cigarette up to her dried lips.

She had way too much power over him, and she didn't like it at all. She didn't know how to handle it, or even what she should do with it. Collin trusted her too much, and more than anything she was afraid. She had hurt him over the years in more way than one, and she could never make up for it.

She knew this, no one else had to spell it out for her anymore. Not even Embry.

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Posted chapter two early! So far the response is good. Currently I'm working on chapter ten, so it will be at least that long now. Thanks for reading and reviewing!


	3. All or Nothing

Chapter 3: All or Nothing

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Collin POV

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Collin stared at Melody across the table, just few feet away from him. He could feel the heat of her leg on his, and his skin pricked into attention. She stuck her tongue out and licked her bottom lip, the motion momentarily distracting him from the game at hand.

"I'm up'ing the ante. You gonna meet it?" She threw a few more chips in, giving him a challenging look that make him breathless and feel things that every now and then he wished he didn't.

Sometimes it was frustrating having Melody Tasher as an imprint. She'd give him an inch, sure, but that didn't mean her emotions were there with him. Collin remembered when he was fifteen and had gotten fed up of waiting. He had been waiting for a year already, and on impulse he kissed her.

It was the best moment of his life, at least until he opened his eyes.

She didn't fight him off, so he thought that meant she was ready to be with him. But when he pulled away feeling like his world had righted and opened his eyes tears sat in hers, and she couldn't look him in the face. When she finally did, he understood.

Guilt. She felt guilty for kissing him.

He had to be careful with Melody Tasher, because Melody was just as fragile about this imprint as he was. He was pretty sure if he asked Melody to kiss him she would, but then Melody would feel terrible for days. She felt like she took advantage of him, when really he was the one taking advantage of her. He had all the power and he knew it. He could make her do something with just a few repetitive words even if no one else got that.

But he felt bad for taking her life away. It's why he didn't try to stop her when she went out to party every week or two. It was why he let her keep the cigarettes although he _really_ hated them.

He had taken enough already.

"I'll meet it," he said with a confident grin. She gave him a disgruntled expression, reaching down to scratch at an uncovered leg. His mouth watered at the sight, the skin soft and golden, before forcibly bringing his attention back to the cards. "Are you raising again?"

She gave him a thoughtful expression, before placing her cards down and pushing all her chips into the center with a smirk. "All in."

He stared at her for a moment, before smiling and meeting the bet. It was a big round, one to determine the winner and loser. Her smiled faltered, before turning to her cards as if it never happened.

"You first," she nodded to him, telling him to reveal his cards.

He placed down his three queens with a smile and she sighed loudly, showing her hand. There was nothing of value in it, all random cards that added up to naught. She had bluffed, and it costed her the game.

"I don't get how you always win Collin. I'm the one that taught you this game," she complained, resting her head on her hands with a sigh. Collin smiled a secret smile, and began to put away the chips up. Collin knew he would always win against Melody when it came to truth and deceit.

Because even when Melody Tasher lied she told the truth.

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Melody POV

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"We should just go! Come on, do we really want Collin trailing after us?" Sarah whined, staring up at Melody. Melody was the taller of the two friends, Sarah being on the short side at 5'2". Their whole looks were opposite if one were honest. Melody had beautiful cheek bones and long straight hair down to her lower back; Sarah had a bob and lips that were on the thin side. Melody had light brown eyes that became caramel in the sunlight, while Sarah's appeared dark and brooding. The only thing similar between them was their fashion style, and some were surprised to find out that the two were friends at all, let alone best friends. They had been together since kindergarten, when Dana Oaks had shoved Melody in the sandbox and Sarah screamed her lungs out at the girl for doing it.

"He's going to worry though," Melody mumbled, ruffling her bangs. Melody's words only served to make Sarah groan louder and face palm.

"He's not your keeper. You mother doesn't even keep tabs on you like that."

"Exactly," Melody said, finally pleased with what stared back at her in the mirror. "I can count on one hand the people that actually care about me in my life. Why would I do something to hurt them?" She actually could count them on two fingers: Collin and Sarah. Her mother sort of cared, but usually she was so strung out on her men that she tended to forget about Melody. Her mother had never hurt or abused her or anything like that. Melody always had food and clothes, and the bills were always paid on time. It's just that… her mother's priorities were different than most. Melody didn't blame her mother for it. After all, Melody's priorities were quite different too, and most of the time she enjoyed the freedoms her mother allowed her.

It didn't matter anymore anyways. As of this year she had moved into a two bedroom house with Sarah, finally decided this was the right route to take to become a real adult. She even had a big girl job as a receptionist at the hospital in Forks. She had never seen Collin more proud of her when she told him.

"You're so negative," Sarah groaned, tired of watching Melody preen in the mirror. Sarah yanked Melody by the hand out of the bathroom and into the living room, grabbing her purse and keys as she went. "I need some retail therapy after this week," Sarah complained, starting up the old car that was on its last leg. It belonged to Sarah's father, a 1995 Ford that was a bit on the rusty side. The ceiling was fraying, and unknown dark stains sat in strategic places on the floor. It was one of the few things Sarah had left of her father, so this car was her baby.

"I shouldn't buy anything," Melody mumbled. "Rent is coming up and I'm cutting it close."

Collin had told her a few times to quit smoking to save money. It was a very expensive hobby. But smoking was Melody's rebellion, her way to get away from everything. She didn't plan on giving it up anytime soon.

It turned out planning not to buy something and actually not buying something are in two separate categories, because as soon as Melody saw the cute little navy blue dress in the display case she knew she had to have it. Without a second thought she flashed her $50 and bought the dress, not regretting it until she left the store.

"Maybe I can convince them to let me work overtime," Melody murmured, stirring her latte with the black straw. They had given her a dented one to her chagrin, useless for any type of sipping.

Sarah snorted at Melody, rolling her eyes. "That's never gonna happen. You have a better chance of stripping for a few tips on the corner."

Laughter bubbled in Melody's throat and she made a choking noise in the back of her throat before bursting into giggles. Sarah rolled her eyes with a smile, shaking her head at her. It was a bit of a joke between the two. Melody and Sarah had tried pole dancing out of curiosity a few years back. Melody went her first class with high hopes and it had ended so badly that she never returned. Sarah turned out to be a pro, her lithe, athletic body jumping to the occasion. Melody's curves hindered her if anything, and even though it appeared she was in shape, Melody really wasn't. After skidding her hand down the pole and getting blisters, falling down heavily at least six times, and not being able to do a single trick, Melody called it quits. Sarah went to a few more classes, but Melody stubbornly stayed home, not willing to make a fool of herself anymore.

"That was one of the worst experiences in my life," Melody mumbled between fingers, covering her face in embarrassment. "I'm never going near a pole again."

Sarah shook her head at Melody in amusement. "So is Collin trailing us today?" she asked, changing the subject.

Melody shrugged, already used to the way the pack treated her. All imprints were carefully watched off the Res. She threw a fit about it at first, but after three years of it she honesty didn't care anymore. "Most likely, I mean I can't even think of one time that I wasn't trailed except the time I was pissed at the world and sneaked out."

It was a rough time in her life. She had just gotten out of rehab, and while the program was really good for her it didn't give her a taste of what the real world and its depravities it had to offer. She had forgotten about the drug dealer that always sat at the corner near the family dollar, her wishful eyes watched him as if he were the water that kept her alive. She never realized how bad her partying habit was either until she did it again. She had forgotten all the sex and smells and drugs and alcohol. No wonder she partied all the time. It had everything she'd ever need.

Her friends, who Melody once thought were some of the best friends in the world, began to appear differently to her with the blind fold off.

Amber, who she noticed was on a never ending high. Melody used to think the girl was quite pretty, but after coming clean she realized Amber really did look like a crack head. Amber's eyes always had a dazed look, and she was practically skin and bones with her hair was greasy and fingernail's cracked. How Melody never noticed this before she'd never know.

David, who was one of the few Native Americans in her tribe she actually hung out with besides Sarah. Melody never noticed his temper before, not until she took a swig of his alcohol and almost tasted his fist. She had forgotten about that rule practically set in stone: never touch David's drinks. He was usually a fun drunk, but for some reason he reacted very badly when anyone tried to take his alcohol.

There were many more friends such as these, and as she fought with herself every waking second of the day to stay clean she wondered if she used to look exactly like them.

She decided she didn't want to find out, and when she told her mother to burn every last picture from the past few years her mother only gave her an odd look before doing so. If she were honest Collin wasn't the whole reason she quit. If it were only Collin she would have relapsed much more than she did.

She stopped because when she stepped back to take a look at her friends and all she saw was death.

They all had early grave markers glued to their pallor colored foreheads, condemned to seeing only the next high or drink that would make them forget everything else. She began noticing the odd things they had in common, like how all of their family situations weren't so great. Amber had eight siblings stuffed into a two bedroom tractor trailer. She hadn't had to take responsibility like her two older siblings, and ran off into the world of sex in drugs as soon as the darkness brushed against her. Ethan, one of her friends from Forks, had an abusive dad. She remembered at first he only followed them around to get away from it all. Everyone at his school were assholes to him too, and his mother never did anything to help Ethan out. She was too worried about his father's wrath and had given up years ago. We were his gateway drug, and he jumped into our world without question. After all, it was better than what he had before.

Sarah's father died when we were thirteen. A drunk driver hit him, leaving him in a coma. After two months her mother decided to pull the plug, and for a long time Melody thought she could never put the pieces together. Sarah began to stay at Melody's house, sharing the full sized bed because Sarah was lonely, and home only held memories of someone she loved and could never have again. A girl was smoking in the school bathroom one day, and she had challenged Sarah stating someone as prissy as Sarah could never do something like this.

It was all it took.

That one drag filled with anger. She liked it more than she should, she told me. After seeing how everything seemed to get better for Sarah after a few drags of Mary Jane, Melody decided to join in too. Back then Melody was lonely just like Sarah. Melody always hurt, because she knew exactly how much she measured up to her mother's boyfriends. She would always lose to them. Sarah whispered to Melody about how the pain just went away, vanished into thin air.

It sounded like the best thing she had ever heard of.

But once Melody started to clean up her act, Sarah began to follow. They did everything together, faced every challenge, and by then Sarah had forgotten why she had even started this down trek.

Of course, Sarah regretted it as soon as she entered herself in the program. Melody did too. They didn't think it would hurt so much. Their bodies trembled, and breathing fluctuated as the addiction slowly leaked out of their system. Melody could remember being a complete bitch, saying things she never imagined saying to Sarah before. Sarah took it in full stride, returning the sentiment without pause.

Sometimes when Melody saw someone smoking something that she knew simply wasn't _just_ a cigarette, her mouth would go dry and hands begin to tremble as the wishful thoughts filled her mind. Even after three years she still had these reactions. She remembered the highs, how safe and warm it felt.

But Collin was a pretty good splash of cold air if you asked her.

She could think it was complete and utter bullshit how she had to clean her act up for some _boy_. She said this in her head in the beginning quite often. But now she was thankful. Collin helped her experience what it was truly like to feel warmth and give it, and began to realize even though it was an annoyance at first the guys trailing after off the reservation _did_ make her feel safe even if they were all ass holes to her in passing conversation.

Melody could only guess at her future. She didn't know how long this would continue. Maybe one day Collin would get his shit together and realize how horrible of a person she was, but until then she would continue to live day by day.

"Are you okay Melody?" Sarah's laughing face greeted her eyes and it made her smile. "You've been stirring that latte non-stop for five minutes now with that serious look on your face. I was beginning to worry."

Melody's brows rose before answering, "Yeah, I've never been better."

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Thanks to everyone for reviewing! Still not finished writing this story, but when I do I'll be sure to tell you how many chapters it is.


	4. More Pain than Pleasure

Chapter 4: More Pain than Pleasure

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Once a month the pack held a bonfire. Sam had retired from being a wolf years ago, although Melody knew many of the wolves still stopped by his house to try to get some food out of his wife Emily. The bonfire was an excuse for Claire to come over too, because Quil would use any reason to get her on safe ground. Melody found their relationship a bit creepy, but when she commented on it Quil only shot back something about her and Collin. That shut her up, and she hadn't really talked to him since.

If anything, these meetings showed her exactly her place in the pack: the outsider. Although no one ever said an unkind word to her, their looks of derisiveness told her all. They only put up with her. Some of the imprints were kind to her. Lizzy didn't seem capable of holding onto anger, and Kim was too shy to actually be mean to someone's face. To be honest, Mila frighten her. Melody could see the animal in those eyes, despite the calmness of her actions and how tame her comments were.

Melody hated going to these things, but Collin usually begged her to. He seemed to think he could force open a spot in this pack for her. Although his efforts were valiant, the results were lackluster. They all smiled and waved as he shoved her at them to his face, and as soon as Collin would disappear they became uncaring, going back to their previous conversations and ignoring her.

Melody could remember long ago when Embry knocked at her door, promising her a family and people to lean on in tough times. It seemed that was something he was not able to give, despite being alpha. He didn't go very far out of his way anyways, and the one time he did try he shoved his imprint Mila at her. Mila hated Melody, or maybe didn't like her. Melody wasn't sure, and it was all the same anyways. Disapproval was clear in Mila's eyes, and she didn't care who saw it. Mila, she knew at once, was a girl that did as she pleased and didn't care how others took it. She said things that were rude, her accented English seeming to embellish each syllable spoken.

It was fine that Mila didn't like her, because Melody didn't like Mila anyways.

"Why do we have to go every month Collin? I just don't understand, it's pointless," she mumbled, adding some last touches to her mascara.

"Because you're part of this pack. It could be fun if you let it be."

"I've tried, I've tried again and again and nothing happens," she complained, a scowl on her pretty face. Collin carefully wiped the expression away with a thumb, a serene smile on his. For a moment her eyes widened and heart thudded loudly in her ears. It wasn't until he brought his hand away that Melody realized her breath had stopped in her throat. Collin arched a brow at her in question, forcing a blush on Melody's face. He only shrugged in response, before turning his back and telling her that he was going to wait outside until she was ready.

It wasn't the first time Collin had done something like that to her, and it wouldn't be the last. Collin liked touching, brushing up against her and rubbing her skin to his. However, it was the first time she had such a reaction to him. She pondered over it for a moment, before grabbing her jacket and heading out with him.

On outings like this she wished she could bring Sarah with her, but since Sarah wasn't an imprint she wasn't allowed. Sarah usually worked evening shifts and didn't get back until about ten or eleven at night. Melody had managed to keep the pack secret from Sarah for three whole years. It was an amazing feat on her side, Sarah only giving her the occasional odd look for Collin's behavior. But by now Sarah was used to Collins quirks she didn't bat a lash.

"How long are we staying," she asked, turning her face up to Collin. His expression was one of amusement and annoyance, his lips pursed but tilted up in a smile with eye squinting down at her.

"Until it's over."

She stared forward, rolling her eyes and letting out a sarcastic snort. "And what do you expect me to do for two hours? Stare at sand?"

"I don't know, maybe try to talk to someone instead of sitting all antisocial in the corner," he answered with a shoulder roll.

She looked to him incredulously. "Are you serious? I'm not antisocial! I've never been called that in my entire life!"

"Well you are around the pack," he shrugged, not understanding why his imprint was so worked up. In his eyes it was true. She never went out of her way to talk to the pack, and usually when he checked on her she was sitting alone in some corner with a scowl on her face. "At least play with the kids."

"Do you really think Mila or Emily want me touching their kids?" Mila's dislike was obvious for everyone to see, but Emily was more subtle about hers. She never said anything or gave any notion she disliked Melody, but Emily always carefully avoided her.

"Then play with Kim or Lizzy's kids. It's better than just sitting there."

She sighed loudly, wrapping her arms around herself. "I still don't get why I have to go," she mumbled, eyes downcast.

She did have an inkling of why. Collin wanted her to be a part of the family he had created. He loved her, and he loved his pack. He wanted them to get along, but Melody wasn't sure if that was even possible. Collin liked being optimistic, which sometimes collided with Melody's personality but she enjoyed it anyways. It was refreshing.

Although in moments like this it was more hindersome than anything. Right now she could be watching TV, hell, even picking her nose. Anything was better than this little taste of hell.

"Collin!" Brady shouted in greeting, a joyous smile on his face. He sprinted over and Melody didn't bother trying to follow him with her eyes. She knew by now it would only serve to make her dizzy. "What's up man!" His eyes landed on Melody and his face tightened before giving her a slight nod of acknowledgement. It was obvious to Melody that it was only for Collin's benefit, but Collin didn't seem to catch on to that.

Collin grabbed her upper arm slightly, leading her to the beginnings of a bonfire as he talked with Brady about something due in school.

Great. She always loved the feeling of being saddled with jailbait.

She took a deep breath, taking in her surroundings. Jordyn was the oldest of the pack kids, being around four. Sam, her father, was fiercely protective of her, and because of that Melody avoided the little girl. Then there came Annabelle and Lenny, Lizzy and Paul's little bundles of energy. Paul was even more protective than Sam, not to mention Annabelle had _all _of Paul's temper. That made it one of Melody's biggest prerogatives to avoid the two gremlin's that could be seen throwing handful's of sand at each other in fits of anger. Kim and Jared had a three year old son and twin boys that were one year old, but the older of the two twins was prone to bursting into tears if anyone so much as _looked_ at him. Mila and Embry had two kids. Mila liked looking at Melody as if Melody were the devil so she wasn't going anywhere towards them.

Claire. It had to be Claire.

Claire wasn't so bad. She was adorable, with beautiful bouncing curls and wide eyes that stared at you in abandonment. If anyone talked to Melody it was usually Claire, and Quil seemed to mind the least out of the pack. Sure enough, after a few minutes Claire ambled over to her, a thoughtful look on her face.

"What are you doing?" Claire asked curiously, sitting down on her knees in front of Melody.

"People watching," Melody answered simply, taking another survey of the area. Claire nodded, turning to face the same direction she was.

"Ara's is a people watcher too," Clair supplied helpfully.

Melody turned to glance at Ara, Seth's mate, and sure enough she seemed to be doing the same thing Melody was doing. But unlike Melody, Ara didn't seem to be the bane of everyone's existence, or treated like a war criminal that had it out for everyone.

Melody turned to Claire, taking in her knobby knees with a smile. "Do you like Quil?"

Immediately a smile bloomed on the little girl's face, her face becoming animated. "I _love_ Quil. He's my best friend. He keeps all my secrets and even does girly stuff with me unlike other boys. Quil told me it's cuz those boys have cooties though," she added as an afterthought.

Melody held her laughter in, covering her mouth with a hand. She had always wondered how Claire felt about all of this, but so far it seemed like the girl had no complaints.

"What about you? Do you like Collin?"

Melody smiled, tilting her head to the side. "Yes, I like him a lot. He's very sweet, just like your wolf seems to be." At least when it came to Claire.

"What do you like about him?" Claire pried curiously, turning to watch her.

Melody's brows slanted in thought, and she took a deep breath in. "I like a lot of things about him," she finally answered.

"Like what?" she pushed.

"Like…" she trailed off, beginning to blush. "He's very sweet and caring, always worrying about the people around him. He loves his mom a lot, and isn't afraid to show it like most guys his age are." It was one of the first things Melody noticed once she tried to start knowing Collin. It was a stark contrast to her own relationship with her mother. "He likes helping people, and even when he knows he's right sometimes he lets me win because he knows I'll feel better." She whispered the last part, hoping Collin didn't cue in on it. She was too afraid to glance his way to see. It wasn't often she admitted what she felt to people.

Claire laughed, clapping her hands at the last part. "I think Quil does that for me too!" She leaned forward conspiratorially whispering in Melody's ear, "Just last week I asked for a lollipop. I told Quil I lost my last one so he gave me another, but I swear he saw me put the first one in my back pocket."

She giggled when she finished, nearly falling off the log they were sitting on in her carelessness. Suddenly she went still, darting off across the sand to Quil who picked her up with a laugh, throwing her in the air.

It was evident why she had left, with Collin coming over here with that serious look on his face that he enjoyed wearing for her. He sat down silently without say a word, staring off into the ocean.

"You heard everything, didn't you?" Melody asked with a pout. It was almost impossible to keep something from Collin. Melody always told Sarah that the walls have ears, but Sarah never took her seriously. In this case, _they really did_. Collin heard all, and if not Collin then one of the pack that would tell Collin. There were no secrets between the two anymore, not for a long time now.

He didn't bother denying her statement, instead deciding to join her in her people watching. "You sort of tried this time. Had a full conversation going with Claire."

"Yeah, well Claire is the easy one," she snorted.

He turned to her, taking her in. "Sometimes it's so hard to read you," he admitted. "And I don't know what's going on in that head of yours. Most of the time it's a guessing game."

His words surprised her. She thought that he always knew what she felt. He seemed to.

"Well I do like you Collin, and I care about you. A lot," she whispered, placing a hand lightly on his shoulder. He turned to her, adolescent passion written all over his face.

She knew it was wrong, she really did. But for some reason she reacted to it just like earlier. She would have to have a firm talking with herself about cradle robbing later.

Her mind rebelled at the off-handed admittance.

She was attracted to Collin?

She looked him over, her eyes ghosting over his face, the bulge of his biceps, how she could see the outline of his six-pack through his shirt.

And her body reacted.

Immediately a sick feeling washed over her, almost bursting out into tears. It was too soon to be feeling this way. He wasn't even seventeen yet. Sure, his birthday was only a week away, but it was the principle of the matter. Seventeen was too soon, she realized feeling faint. None of this was supposed to happen, if it ever was meant to. He was supposed to be a safe number, like nineteen, before she viewed him as a man. As someone she could spend her life with.

She needed to get away. Away from him, away from everyone.

"I need to go," she muttered, coming back into herself. "I need to leave, I-I have to."

"Melody?" Question was in Collin's voice, and when she turned to him the worry was obvious too. "Are you okay? Do you want me to walk you home?"

"No!" she burst out, mortified and afraid of her own body. She backed up slowly, her hands reaching out pleadingly to him. "Please stay. Stay," she begged.

His jaw ticked at he did a once over of her slowly, before nodding his ascent and watching until she could no longer be seen, the trees too numerous between them.

Melody Tasher was pain mixed with slight moments of pleasure for Collin, but he loved her anyways.

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Thanks for all the reviews last chapter! Love Laugh Live Your Life and Marimart have been reviewing faithfully! Thank you both!


	5. Truths

Chapter 5: Truths

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Collin POV

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"I don't get it. Things were going so good," Collin complained, at a loss.

Since the bonfire nearly one week ago Melody Tasher had been avoiding him. He didn't like it one bit, and the past few days he had to get by on the little glimpses of her he got out of her window. Collin had no clue what he did this time, he thought things were going great. But that was often how it went with his imprint.

"The words 'Melody' and 'good' do not belong in the same sentence," Brady snorted. Collin leveled a glare at his best friend but did nothing else, too distracted by his own thoughts.

She hadn't avoided him like this in two years, and he wasn't sure what brought this one on this time. Sure, sometimes she avoided him for a few days, but not a week. The first time this happened she was convinced she wasn't good enough for him, and the way to go about it was weaning her out of his system. It didn't work out so well, and Melody had burst into tears when she saw the state he was in.

The second time was because she relapsed and was too ashamed to face him. She thought she could hide it from him by staying away, but Collin already knew. That lasted almost a week too, until Collin knocked on her door and begged her talk to him with tears in his voice.

This was the third time, and he was at a loss of what exactly had happened. For the first time ever she had admitted to having some type feelings for him, and not to just to placate him either. This time she really meant it, and it had momentarily overwhelmed him. All this time he had wondered if the words she told him were real, and now he knew.

"I still don't get why you don't like her," Collin grumbled, almost wishing Brady didn't hear him.

"The same reason everyone else doesn't," Brady snorted. "She says all these things to you to make _herself_ feel better, not you. She doesn't like knowing she's a bad person. Plus, she does all this horrible crap to you. You don't even realize it because of the imprint."

Collin's reaction was immediate, his eyes flashing as he straightened his back. "I know her better than anyone else, and I'm telling you it's not like that. She cares. She really does, and I know all of you worry about me. I hear it all the time from you guys when we phase, but things aren't what they used to be. She's changed, and she's still changing now. So what if the beginning was rough? One day this will all work out."

Brady said nothing, but his face showed exactly what he was feeling. Face scrunched, bottom lip bit down hard on, and head tilted towards the ground. Brady didn't agree, but Collin knew one day he would show them all how right he was.

"One day I'm not just going to be a kid to her. I'll be everything she needs me to be and she'll be everything I need too." Collin stood up, stretching his joints as his thoughts wandered back to his imprint.

Sometimes he really didn't understand her.

He seemed to be the only wolf to have this much trouble with imprinting. For Paul it was like magic. He practically knew what Lizzy needed before she even knew herself. Jared just needed to look at Kim and he'd know, and Claire never hid anything from anyone. But Melody….

It was always a guessing game with her. It would be real nice if he could be gifted with some type of imprint voodoo, as Melody was so keen to call it, but it seemed like in that department he would always be lacking.

"I'm not trying to hurt you by saying these things Collin, I just want you to be careful. I don't want to see you in pain anymore. I'm tired of coming over and seeing you practically comatose on the couch. I'm tired of seeing you cry every time she hurts you, and she will. If you're promised anything from Melody Tasher, it will be tears," Brady vowed. He kicked at the ground, shoving his hands in his pocket as he refused to meet Collin's gaze.

Collin stared at him, unsure of what to say. He wished he could say none of that would happen anymore, but he realized that it probably would.

"You don't need to worry about me so much," he finally decided on.

Brady scoffed. "We all do. Every time you go over there we wonder if you're going to come back a wreck."

"No," Collin answered shallowly, his heart not in the words. "It-it's not always going to be like that."

Collin stared at his friend once more before turning his back to Brady and heading over to Melody's. Collin took the path he always did, a shortcut through the forest and behind the corner store. He lifted his eyes from the ground, pulling his gaze from the rock his eyes had trained on to peer down the empty dirt road.

He always wondered where this road would lead him to in the end, and sometimes he worried that this winding path would give him only pain.

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Melody POV

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There were 7 more hours of avoidance left. Melody had it down to a science. Anything more than exactly that amount would hurt Collin too much. She knew he was strained now, the last 48 always grated on him and usually Melody didn't wait that long. No, the full 167 hours, almost seven days, were used in emergencies. This _definitely_ qualified as an emergency.

After 148 hours without Collin she now understood that she was becoming attracted to him. During the first 76 she decided to keep it from him. It was for his own good after all. Maybe she would tell him when he was eighteen, but she wasn't sure. She still had 365 days before deciding that.

Today Collin was seventeen.

She always had trouble buying him presents. Things like shirts and pants seemed too shallow, and making a scrap book too cheesy for her. She usually decided on baking him a cake and taking him out to eat, just the two of them.

But the thought of being alone with Collin right now make her skin itch.

Besides, she knew exactly what he wanted for his birthday every year, Melody just wasn't able to give it to him yet.

Melody would carefully watch the boundary between them, something that Sarah had found hilarious. After two days Sarah had demanded to know what was going on, and after a little prying figured it all out.

She thought it was hilarious, and about time too.

It had mortified Melody, and she had begged Sarah not to tell him. Or anyone for the matter. The secret was now where it belonged: locked up and deeply hidden. She hoped it stayed that way for her sake.

She thought about giving one more shove for Collin to get a nice girl his age, but then after thinking on it she realized imagining anyone with Collin in that way made her feel ill.

Now she knew exactly how Collin felt every time she was with a guy.

She'd never touch another one again if he felt anything remotely to the way she had felt for that moment. Not even to dance with, or practice her flirting skills. She had taken a new vow of chastity, and it would probably drive her insane but there were worse ways to die.

Maybe she should swear off clubs in general. It seemed like the right way to go. She would have to find something else she enjoyed. What it would be, she had no idea. She just hoped Collin didn't expect it to be something she found horrid but Collin found to be good fun, like hiking or professional hot dog eating.

The party was at Emily and Sam's house. It was every year. Whenever there was a party Sam and Emily's was the place to be. Melody could tell when Emily opened the door that she was surprised to see Melody there, and a quick walk to the kitchen showed Collin in his natural depressive state he went to when Melody was gone for too long. His shoulders slumped and eyes drooped, his hands sitting heavy in his lap and oblivious to all the noise around him.

"I brought you a cake," she whispered, leaning over the table and placing it in front of him, shoving the single candle in it. She stayed in that position, watching his reaction from up close.

His response was immediate, and for a moment he seemed to be like a blow up doll. Slowly puffing up, his face going from bland to shocked to complete happiness.

It almost made her cry to know that she was his happiness. Not his family or pack, not even the food he liked to devour 24-7. It was her.

"I didn't think you'd come," he whispered, staring hopefully at her as if she were some kind of dream.

She smiled indulgently, running a hand through his hair but taking care to avoid the skin she was frightened of at this moment. "I wouldn't miss your birthday," she promised.

Melody pulled her lighter from her pocket, holding it over the candle until it finally lit. Collin stared at her thoughtfully, his expression unreadable, and then blew the candle out in one single breath. He pulled his attention back to Melody where it stayed there, his eyes unblinking.

"Where did you want to go this year?" She changed her mind about going out to eat at the last minute. Collin was appearing a bit fragile at the moment, and he would need the extra time with her to feel better.

His bottomless eyes stared back at her, and finally he said in a childlike voice, "I don't know what I did."

She immediately winced, bringing her gaze off of him and onto the table. "Nothing, you did nothing Collin. Everything isn't always your fault."

He stared at her in incomprehension. "But the last two times you were gone this long... was because of me."

"No! Collin, where did you get that from?" She pulled the chair out, ignoring everyone around her and giving him her undivided attention.

"I just… noticed. The first time you left was because you felt like you weren't good enough, and the second time because you relapsed. I must have done something to make you feel like you couldn't tell me. I must of acted some way that made you think-"

"Collin, it's not you at all. I told you before sometimes I need time to think."

"Then why don't you just tell me that? Why do you leave and block me out without saying anything?"

Because it's easier for her that way. Then he didn't have to see her weakest moments, the time where she was only filled with confusion and pain. "I'm selfish," was all she said. She could hear a few snorts in the living room, but she ignored them. They could all go to hell, and she would see them on her way down.

Collin sighed loudly, running his hands through his hair leaving it sticking in every direction.

"I want you to talk to me Melody. I can't help you if you won't tell me what's wrong."

But he shouldn't have to help her.

"Don't worry about those things Collin. I can handle myself," she brushed off.

His face hardened, taking her aback. Collin's shoulder's straightened, and his eyes stared steadily into hers freezing her into place. Suddenly he grabbed her hand, pulling her outside and taking her into the shadows. Melody stared down at her wrist when he let go. She felt like his hand had burnt a hole into hers.

"No more of this Melody. From now on when something is wrong, tell me. I'm not going to let you hide anymore. I'm not going to let you suffer in silence and try to work it out. I'm going to be there for you whether you like it or not. Now tell me what's wrong."

It took her a moment to puzzle these words out, to make them actually mean something. When she did her eyes widened and immediately she felt distraught. "Collin, no!"

His nose twitched, but otherwise he did not react. "Yes, Melody," he said, leaning against the wall. "We're going to talk. Tell me what's going on. What happened last week to make you run off like that and then avoid me all week."

She floundered for a moment, knowing there was no way she would ever tell him _that_ answer. "Don't worry about it," she tried again. He didn't buy it, and once more she was left to deal with Collin's stubbornness.

"I'm serious Melody, I want to talk. I want you to be able to trust me," he pleaded, staring earnestly into her eyes.

She blinked roughly, and her breathing began to pick up in her panic. Collin sometimes mentioned spirits to her, saying they're the ones that arranged this imprint. They arranged all of them.

"You're growing up," she whispered in a daze, running a hand over his clothed shoulder. Never before had Collin asked to speak with her one on one, both on the same level. It had always been Melody comforting Collin, and every now and then Collin comforting Melody with the smaller things in life. Melody didn't think he knew what he was asking of her.

A small smile grew on him, his face a beacon on light, before a more severe one replaced it. "I'm serious, I want to know about things like this. I don't want you to suffer alone."

"I have Sarah."

She should have known that would not comfort him. He seemed to think Sarah was some type of plague.

"Just _please_, tell me from now on. I'm not letting you disappear anymore, not now."

She agreed quickly, swiftly nodding her head. At least he had stopped pushing to know why she had disappeared. Melody would have to be careful from now on. She would have to guard her feelings, and pretend everything was alright even though it was the farthest thing from it.

Melody could be a great actress when she wanted to be.

At least she could be when Collin didn't already know the truth. Then he would shove and pry. Sometimes he didn't get the answer and sometimes he did. But now she knew the result would always be the latter.

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This story is going to be the longest story yet on my profile. It's going to be at least more than 30k words. It's more complicated than I thought it would be. Also, I'm going to be on Spring Break this week and idk if I'll have internet to be able to update on Wednesday like usual. It may just be a one update week.

Comments:

Guest: She does think that! It is going to take a while to come to terms with it. You'll hear more about why the pack are like that as the story progresses.


	6. Understanding and Comprehension

Chapter 6: Understanding and Comprehension

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Ever since Melody's realization that she found Collin physically attractive, things had been stressful to say the least. Collin had given up long ago trying to seduce her. She remembered how in the beginning he was always trying to keep her gaze on him, to view him as the only man meant for her.

Well now it had happened, and she wasn't completely happy about it.

She found herself watching him more closely, staring as muscles rippled with every movement. Peering curiously when Collin was shirtless, taking him in with almost hungry eyes. Before it was always Collin with the wishful stares, ogling throughout the day. She had grown used to it, and now it didn't even phase her. But Collin didn't seem to do that anymore, at least she never caught him doing it.

Now it was her eyes that were on him. A few times he had caught her, and she had quickly turned away with a blush on her face. But Collin was so used to Melody's indifference that he didn't realize what she was doing. The most he would do was cock a brow in question before turning back to the previous activity.

She noticed how women stared at him, the way they would flirt and brush their hands across his skin in earnest. Before she barely noticed this, and when she did she welcomed it. He had been oblivious to their ministrations then, and still was.

Now she wanted to show them her ugliness, prove to them that Collin was hers and nobody else's.

It was driving her insane.

It was like someone else had the reigns to her emotions and sanity, and Melody was only along for the ride. She hated losing that control. She never realized before how important keeping that boundary between her and Collin was until it had disintegrated into dust, spreading out into the wind in unmanageable pieces that were impossible to piece together again.

Her body betrayed her, but her mind was still her own. At least most of the time it was. Sometimes her thoughts wandered to things, _forbidden_ things, that she knew she shouldn't think about but couldn't help herself. She wondered what it would be like to lick the expanse of his neck, before laying a sweet kiss upon it. She thought about his lips, and the way his tongue would dart out to wet them when they were dry. She even dreamed, horrible mesmerizing dreams, about what it would be like to become one in the darkness of the night. To feel his touch upon her body and the way their bodies moved in sync. As if one heartbeat, one soul.

She always woke up in disarray from them, breathing hard and teary eyed because she didn't want those dreams. Not yet. It was too soon. They were too soon.

Nobody seemed to care how she felt about it. Not the spirits, not his pack or family, not even that damned dog down the road she had cried her heart out to last week it a fit of emotions.

She would stand strong against this. Wanting him this way was wrong. It didn't matter that his family approved, and her best friend Sarah, and even Collin himself, agreed. She knew it was wrong. Laws were there for a reason. She already took advantage of him already, she couldn't do it even more.

Eighteen, she decided, eighteen would be when she would reveal herself.

She only hoped she could wait that long. It had only been two weeks since his seventeenth birthday, and every day her feelings only grew stronger, her wishes getting a mind of its own. Just yesterday she had been in a daze, staring with abandonment at the expanse of chest he was showing. She had began to reach out to touch it, but finally got a hold of herself at the last minute. Collin didn't notice, too caught up in the football game happening on the TV screen.

But Brady had seen it.

He had seen how her mind and body had warred against one another. Her hand, and how it reached out to claim the boy next to her. Brady appeared confused at first, and then it was as if a light bulb had gone off in his mind and his face became thoughtful.

Brady hated her. All of the pack did. Asking him to not say anything would be like telling him to say it right away. The only plan of action possible would be to keep quiet and not have another episode like this in front of him again. Perhaps Brady would think it was a fluke. He had been watching her closely since then, his eyes pinning her and making her feel bare. Melody was always tense around Brady now, and too disturbed to think anything about Collin and how beautiful he was. If Brady ever told Collin and Collin confronted her about it, she would deny it. Collin would believe her, he had to.

If he didn't, then everything she had built up would be for naught.

* * *

Brady POV

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Brady liked to think of himself as an observational type of person. He liked to think that he noticed things before anyone else did. Now, it didn't always play out that way. Sometimes people noticed things he didn't even have a clue about and he was shocked to hear, but there were times when he found out things before others even had wind of it.

Last week when he learned Melody was coming over, he was a bit pissed. He didn't really like the girl. Collin deserved better, and since day one that girl had only hurt him. She partied, leaving Collin up at night wondering if everything would be okay and if she would she get home safely. Melody smoked, and not the socially acceptable kind of smoking he meant the illegal, can't get a job, kind. Sure, Melody had stopped. For now. But how long would it be until she started that nasty habit up again.

Melody Tasher had too much baggage for Brady to like. He pretended to be neutral for his friend, but the truth was he really didn't like her.

He wasn't the only one either. Most of the pack felt the same way he did, Seth being a minority. The only minority. Seth was too caring to think too mean of anyone. Lizzy and Claire liked Melody enough. Kim didn't like Melody more out of a pet peeve than anything. For all the years Melody had gone to pack bonfires she had never brought food. It was a little tick of Kim's, because she was raised if someone invited you to a party you brought food. Emily avoided Melody because Emily didn't want her children to have a negative influence like Melody in their life. Mila was an odd little thing, someone from the past where there was no such thing as equals in a relationship. She didn't like that Melody never listened to her mate.

So yeah, Melody was the odd one out at any pack gathering.

But last week something strange had happened. For a second Brady would have sworn that Melody had waivered. For just a moment she had looked at Collin like he was the sun and she the earth, forever chasing him in the sky; like he was her night and she the day, always reaching out with open arms in the hope of one day holding him as her own.

The moment passed quickly, and all that sat in her eyes after was fear and vulnerability.

Brady had never seen Melody vulnerable. He didn't think it was possible, the girl seemed as cold as marble on a winter day. She was kinder to Collin and that one friend of hers with the bob cut, but that was all.

He knew something had happened then, but Brady wasn't exactly sure. For all he knew it was a moment of weakness and would never happen again.

But no matter what had happened that day, Brady still found himself to be a very observational person. It's just that observation does not always mean comprehension, at least for him.

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Thank you everyone for the reviews! I found some internet to be able to update real quick!


	7. The Ghost From the Past

Chapter 7: The Ghost From the Past

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Melody walked down the dank halls, an unpleasant smell wafting up into her nose that forced a grimace onto her face. She didn't come here often, she barely knew the man now. But sometimes she liked to pretend she did. She remembered the way things used to be. When he would throw her up in the air and catch her, Melody's giggles wild and infectious. She remembered when her mother would say no more sweets, and he would sneak her some anyways, whispering to her that it was their little secret.

She also remembered the not so good times.

Alcohol is like poison, Melody's mother would say. It could turn even the most decent man into a monster. Melody held onto these words, hiding each time until the beast became a prince once more. Shouts could be heard, demands and dishes crashing into walls. She hid from it all, locking herself into her room and not leaving her sanctuary until morning when the prince would be back and they could giggle together while she poured fake tea into plastic cups and nibbled off of stale bread like the most posh of socialites.

She loved her father, even if he didn't quite love her the way he used to.

Back then when they took him away she didn't understand why. All she knew was the police were dragging him away and her mother was crying like she would never see him again. Melody began to throw a fit, screaming as many hateful things at those people in there she could think of. Her vocabulary wasn't as good then, and she avidly remembered calling many of them "stupid heads" and "poop licker's."

Melody remembered that last look her father gave her as they dragged him away in that courtroom. He was apologizing, telling her sorry for all the years he would miss and memories that would not form. There were tears in his eyes, and that had quieted her because she had never seen her father cry before. Daddy was always strong. He was the one that comforted her and mommy when they were sad, not the other way around.

When they got home Melody asked her mother when daddy would come home and her mom began to cry again, telling Melody not for a long time. Not until Melody herself was an adult and maybe even had children of her own.

Melody couldn't picture that back then. It seemed like it would never happen, so Melody cried more because she knew then that her father would never come back home.

Things only got worse after that. It was almost as if her mother had given up. Her mother had loved her father very much, and he loved her mother too. Even with all the alcohol abuse and fighting, and mother's random bouts of depression, they always made things work.

Melody was only seven when her father was taken away. She didn't know how to make her mother feel better. If anything, Melody's attempts only aggravated her mother. Melody had always known that mother loved father more than her, even at that young age. But it didn't matter when daddy loved Melody so much, because _she_ knew daddy loved her more than mommy. He had told her so.

Everything began to fall apart after he was gone.

A year later her mother tried to kill herself and failed. Melody didn't see it herself, a friend of her mother's had come to visit. The woman had found her mom on the bathroom floor with blood pooling around her and took her to the hospital immediately. When Melody did come home after sleeping over at Sarah's the first night Melody found the dark, almost black blood dried onto the bathroom floor. By then Melody knew she was on her own. Her mother could barely take care of herself, let alone Melody. She remembered scrubbing it, pouring any cleanser she could get her hands on in a desperate attempt to erase the evidence. The smell became worse, and dried flecks of it stuck to her skin while the rest turned the suds into a repulsive brown than never seemed to grow lighter despite the amount of soap she had added. It still stained the bathroom floor, and even now if one were to go in there its lopsided circle was clearly visible.

When her mother came back from the hospitals things changed even more. Before all of this happened she at least seemed to care. She would run a hand through Melody's hair in passing, and sometimes even tuck Melody in at night. It all stopped. Everything.

And then Melody had no one.

She remembered sitting in the bath at nine years old, staring at the light pink stain on the floor as the bubbles disappeared and wondering if she should add her own to it. Her mother would no longer make the hour drive to see her dad. Now her mother had her own men, and bars and odd noises when they came back and went to the back room. The only good thing in her life was Sarah. Sarah cared, and Melody had more fun with Sarah than she'd had in a long time.

Sarah laughed with her, and let her spend the night when Melody knew someone would come over with her mother. Sarah's mother was nicer than Melody's. She called Melody things like "love" and "sweetheart," and those words always made Melody smile. When Sarah lost her own father it was time to return the favor, and Melody did. She helped Sarah though it, although maybe not as well as Sarah had helped her.

The gates buzzed as they opened, the last door to her destination. Melody took a moment to search the room, looking for the familiar dark skin and hair she knew so well even after all this years. When she sat down her father didn't move, looking to the left and picking at his teeth with a tooth pick distractedly. His eyes finally cued onto hers, and a smile that was more of a smirk grew on his face.

"It's been a long time Mel. How long has it been since you last visited me, a year?" He stared at her expectantly, and she squirmed uncomfortably in her seat. The man that sat across from her barely looked like the same person. Her father was a thin man, with happy eyes. This man was bulky, his arm muscles as thick as her legs. His eyes were empty, and none of the old familiarity sat in them. In her mind she had a picture of her father, and this person did not match up at all.

The first year she visited with her mother he did not change much. He had added more muscle mass, but his was expression was the same. That had changed slowly every year until he turned into this. Uncaring. Cold. Indifferent. Calculative, measuring Melody based on how much she could give him in monetary value.

"You've gotten a new scar," she murmured, ignoring his question and staring down at the table.

He snorted, rolling his eyes. "I got another year added because of this." He held his hand up better for her to see, the scar still pink and slightly raised. "Almost killed the guy that did this. He attacked me and I'm still the one punished," he grumbled, flicking his hand back on the table.

Melody remained silent, unsure of what to say. As the years went by her visits had dwindled, her hope vanishing with each one. Every time she went she expected her father to be back to the way he used to be, but staring at him now she was finally starting to realize he never would be.

"What's wrong with you? Ya crying?" he asked, giving her an odd look. He hadn't seen her do that in a long time, not since the first few visits where Melody would always hope her father would be coming back with them. She blinked away the film of tears, shaking her head and forcing a smile.

"I'm just happy to see you."

His brows raised, but he went along with it. He glanced around the semi-packed room before scooching closer to her, the chair making grating noises on the floor as he did. She flinched, wanting to block the noise out by covering her ears, but refrained.

"Do you have any drugs?" he whispered, emotion finally showing up in his eyes. "I mean anything, I'll take it all."

The smile that had been growing on her face when he edged closer faded, along with the hope. This man would never change. He would never be who he used to be, and it was about time she accepted that.

"I told you last time I quit," she mumbled grabbing her purse to leave. "I'm gonna go now dad, I love you." Even if he couldn't be what she needed she still loved him.

His arm latched out, grabbing her wrist and making her pause. "Before you go, could you give me some money?"

She stared down at him, taking in his cheek bones that were hers too. The light brown eyes, even lighter than hers. "Yeah."

She opened her purse, handing him whatever money filled it before leaving. He smiled genuinely for the first time since she had sat down next to him. But he wasn't smiling for her, she knew, he was smiling at the money.

She walked out of the prison halls, her heels making clicking sounds on the cement floors and echoing loudly in her ears. Melody's hands trembled as she reached for her keys and attempted to open the car door before finally succeeding. Tossing her purse in the passenger seat she took a deep breath, placing both hands on the steering wheel. Melody stared at the bricked walls of the jail and rows of cars in front of her before bursting into tears. She laid her head on the horn and sobbed, her shoulder's heaving with each cry.

She couldn't understand how a person could change so much. There wasn't even a little of the person that she used to know inside that body. Not even a glimpse of him when she stared deeply into his eyes. That person in there was not her father, it was only someone who inhabited his body. She knew inside of that frame was darkness, black stickiness clinging to each wall. There was no light in there, no memories of her and the way it used to be. Everything was gone.

The past was a hateful thing. It teased her with memories of things that would never happen again. But she knew as much as the past hurt her she would never change it. Those times brought equal happiness along with sadness, and to vanish them would only cause more pain.

She decided for now to let the past live, pulling her head up and wiping her face. A glance in the mirror made her grimace. She was an ugly crier, her eyes always puffed up and her face blotched. At least she had on waterproof mascara, but it seemed like she forgot to put on waterproof eyeliner.

Even the most fool proof plans seem to have a weakness.

* * *

Here's more of an explanation on her dad. I'm really taking the time to go through everything with this story unlike most my stories where it's to the point. I'm starting to get writer's block and I'm unsure how to proceed. I'm on 15 anyways so you may not even be delayed by it in the end.

Comments:

Guest- Thank you! I usually update twice a week, and I try!


	8. Mrs Littlesea

Chapter 8: Mrs. Littlesea

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Despite how much Melody fought with herself, she could not make these new feelings for Collin her body was so keen on feeling diminish. There was still eleven months until his eighteen birthday, and it was starting to put a strain on her. She always felt stressed, and had little sleep. Collin had tried getting the truth out of her again, asking why she was no longer able to sleep. It wasn't until he said he would start spending the night that she finally decided to do something. Since then she had been taking sleeping medication. She dreamed less with it too. No more of those deliciously frightening dreams that involved Collin anymore. She had also decided not to go to the monthly bonfire this month. It was too stressful for her, and for once Collin didn't argue with her too much about going.

Her job as a receptionist was going as well as planned. She didn't expect to do so much paper work when she applied for the job, but it was the best job she ever had. Before this she had worked at a gas station, and prior to that she worked at the local McDonald's. Anything was better than those two jobs. The night shift wasn't too bad there, but she was always tired the next day for class.

She was spending less and less time with Collin, which was taking a toll on him. It wasn't fair to him at all, but her sanity was on the line. It was at times like this she wished Collin was an ugly hag.

"I haven't seen you in so long Melody!" Mrs. Littlesea wrapped her arms around Melody, hugging Melody tightly before letting go. "You haven't been avoiding me, have you?" Mischief danced in Mrs. Littlesea's eyes, and Melody let out a nervous giggle. Not exactly, she thought, more like your son.

"Of course not, I've just been busy with work and all," Melody grinned. Collin's mom only smiled, placing her hands on Melody's cheeks before letting go.

"Come help me make dinner sweetheart. Collin's not here yet." That was the point. To avoid Collin as much as possible. She could brush their shortened time off as forgetfulness, telling him she didn't remember him telling her that he had to do rounds for Embry.

She now knew and could admit that one day Collin and her would, in fact, be a couple. She could see him as more than just the boy that followed her around, hanging onto her every word. She loved him, Melody had since that first year they had met, but now her feelings were changing from a friendship sort of love to something more. She didn't like the fact that she had no control over her feelings. It bothered her a lot. But there was nothing she could do about it, and Collin wasn't even a horrible person for her to be upset about all of this.

She just wasn't ready.

She wanted them both to be adults when this happened, but more and more she was beginning to think that wasn't how it was going to work.

"Why don't you care that I'm older than Collin?" Melody asked his mother. Mrs. Littlesea had always adored her, smiling and making little quips about grandchildren all the time. Collin was her only child. Melody would think his mother would want something more than Melody, something better. But the woman had always been happy with Melody.

"It's only three years," Mrs. Littlesea shrugged, mixing the ingredients with a heavy hand.

"But I'm twenty, and he's seventeen," Melody argued.

Mrs. Littlesea's back was to Melody, so she couldn't read the woman's face. "Yes," she agreed. "But he's always adored you. You make him happy, and that's all a mother could ask for."

Melody grimaced, thinking back to all the times she had hurt Collin. She wished that were true.

"Besides," Mrs. Littlesea added. "I'm sure one day your feelings will change."

Melody flinched, wondering how obvious it was that her feeling for Collin had changed. She wasn't sure if that was her way of telling Melody she knew of Melody's changed feelings or what.

"Maybe one day," Melody whispered, staring down at the boiling pot on the stove in contemplation. She couldn't do much more than boil things, honestly. Her cooking skills weren't the best.

"One day soon hopefully. He's been mooning over you for three years now." For the first time a hint of something that almost sounded like annoyance sat in Mrs. Littlesea's voice. Collin's mother sighed, giving up her stirring to stare at Melody. Her hands leaned against the counter, propping her up. She seemed to debate with herself, and opened her mouth several times before closing it again.

"I worry for him," his mother whispered. "I worry that you're never going to feel that way about him that he does for you. My son is in love with you Melody, and sometimes I worry that's the way it's going to be like this for the rest of his life. With you never feeling the same."

Melody stared down at the floor, unwilling to meet her gaze. Melody went to respond but the front door opened. It was Collin, shouting that he was home. They both shared a glance before going back to what they were doing before.

"You're here early," Collin whispered in her ear making her jump. She didn't even here him walk up to her.

Melody laughed nervously. "I had forgotten that you said you wouldn't be here. Silly me."

He frowned, but said nothing, going over to his mother to kiss her cheek hello. "Hello sweetheart," his mother whispered. "How are you?"

He murmured something in his mother's ear, giving her a smile before plopping down into a chair and stretching with a yawn. "Oh, by the way where were you the other day? I couldn't get a hold of you at all, and Sarah didn't know either." He gave her a curious look, staring at Melody expectantly.

Melody fidgeted, clenching one fist while the other one stirred the noodles. "I went to visit my dad."

An awkward silence filled the air. From what Melody had gathered Collin's mother didn't like her father even before he was in prison, let alone now. Melody was the only person who visited her dad. Melody's grandmother used to before she passed away two years ago, but now it was only her. And now Melody didn't think she'd visit her father ever again, but she'd said that before and wasn't sure how true that statement would turn out to be. She had a weakness when it came to her father. She always went back even though she knew in her heart how it would always end.

Collin didn't like her dad either, although he never said it. When he found out her father was in jail and she liked to visit him, Collin was curious. He wanted to meet the father of the woman he planned to marry.

When Collin met her father he stared at the man, watching the way her father was and then staring at Melody as if asking why she even puts up with it. But that was her father. She knew he would do the same even if he didn't realize that.

"Did everything go alright?" Collin asked, not meeting her gaze.

She took a deep breath in, saying lightly, "As well as expected." That was a lie. It was the worst visit she ever had with him. Not because he was any different than before, but because she finally realized that she couldn't change him or make him remember the good times. He was a stranger now, a stranger that gathered his pleasure from sources other than her.

"I'm sorry," Collin whispered.

She turned to him, taking in his downcast expression. She wasn't sure what he was apologizing for. Maybe he apologized so that he could say _something_ to fill in the empty void of conversation. She did know he pitied her for her family situation. A mother who didn't care and a father who wasn't really her father anymore, but he still never got that Sarah and her family were the ones that saved her. Without them Melody would have been just another gravestone in the La Push cemetery, and nothing to him at all.

Melody was beginning to think that Collin would have been better off with a result like that, never meeting her at all.

She remembered the day he imprinted on her. She was a junior in high school and he in eighth grade. There were so few kids on the Res that a middle school didn't exist, although the seventh and eighth graders usually stuck to one hall in the high school. Talking about the La Push gang was all the rage back then. It was all that people spoke about. When Collin and Brady came back after their almost three week absence, they were different. Their eyes that were once so innocent now knew a burden none of us could understand. They were much taller too, but more lithe than the others who had joined the gang. The other members had thick muscle on their frames, but not Brady and Collin. Melody didn't know back then it was because he was too young to get the muscles his pack members had.

She was heading to art class, it was closer to his side of the school, and he was passing for music. He stared at the ground, scuffing his shoes and making loud squeaking noises that grated on her ears. She wanted to glare at him, because she already had a hangover from the night before and that sound was not helping, but she was afraid too. Even at thirteen he was taller than her, with more muscles and a face that was still trying to drop all the baby fat childhood had. She didn't know him, and the gang was famous for being avoided because they all had horrible tempers. Melody didn't want to argue with La Push's newest gang member, and she didn't want to feel threatened by a thirteen year old either.

So she let it go.

Her lips pursed as he got closer, and she reached up to cover her ears. She already had to deal with that damned warning bell, she wasn't going to listen to this too. Just as they were about to pass he looked up. He seemed to take in his surroundings with a quick perusal, and then glanced at her thoughtlessly.

When their eyes met he froze in his spot, as did she. His eyes widened and his mouth dropped open as a dozen emotions filtered though. Anger, confusion, acceptance, happiness.

Adoration.

He seemed to settle for that, gathering himself with a quick breath and stepping towards her. But she wanted none of it, she had felt something when they looked at each other, but nothing like that. He overwhelmed her, and all she wanted to do was get to class as fast as possible. Her teacher hated her already, Melody was only adding wood to the flames.

She gave Collin a smile, one of those smiles you give a stranger when your eyes meet and to fill the awkwardness before glancing away and trying not to look at them again. He faltered for a moment, but stopped in front of Melody anyways, blocking her path.

"Hello," he said. "My name is Collin."

She gave him a quick perusal, before turning to look back at the floor. Her eyes followed the crevices in the tiles, light yellow with age. She knew a long time ago they had been white, but that time had long since passed.

"I know, everyone knows your name," she said simply.

He flinched, but took this in stride. "What is your name?"

Well if he didn't know it now it would be easy for him to figure out. She could bet one of his friends knew her, he wouldn't have to enquire very far. That's how it was in such a small town. "Melody, Melody Tasher."

He repeated this under his breath a few times, committing this to memory. She shouldered her backpack, shifting her weight back and forth awkwardly. "Look this is nice and all, but I'm already late to class." She stepped around him, carefully avoiding his touch. She didn't want to be grabbed again. "It was nice meeting you." Simple words that didn't have to mean anything.

Collin didn't seem to catch it was only politeness saying that and beamed at her. "Well, I'll see you around?"

"Probably. La Push is too small for anything else," she called back to him, turning the corner to go to class.

That's all it had started as. People say when you meet your soul mate sparks fly. That it's something undeniable, irrevocably tying two souls together for all of eternity.

What a bunch of shit.

Melody didn't even think she would hold another conversation with him, let alone spend the rest of her life with him. All she felt was a connection, a mere connection. It could have been anything. A connection of friendship, or maybe of understanding or of familial ties. But it wasn't strong enough to keep her around. Melody planned on avoiding him because he was bad news. She was bad news too, but she was harmless at least. Melody had seen what they could do, how Paul Lahote could punch through walls and break chairs in half. She wanted none of it.

Of course, Collin came around again. He always tried to get into her good graces, but when you start off decided not to like someone that's hard to do. It wasn't until he burst into tears after a harsh comment from her did she decided to be friends with him. It wasn't until Collin told her everything and Embry banged on her door those three years back that Melody began to view Collin seriously and try to clean her act up.

"The noodles are done, any softer and we'll be eating mush," Mrs. Littlesea teased. Melody blinked, coming back to the present time and noticing the awkward moment had passed. Brady had come by and she hadn't noticed in her distracted state. Neither of them liked each other very much. Brady for his reasons and Melody, well, because Brady didn't like her.

She kind of had an inkling no one in the pack liked her.

She didn't need them though, she had Sarah. None of them could replace her. Sarah was Melody's shining light in the darkness.

It sounded like something Collin would say about her.

They set the table together, Melody remaining quiet as Brady, Collin, and his mother talked avidly with each other. It was times like this when Melody saw how much better Collin's life would have been if he had never met her. Melody would always feel bad about this, because she put him through enough shit throughout the years that it would turn a normal person grey.

Collin washed the dishes while his mother dried them. Brady cleaned the table while Melody put the dishes away. It was a joint effort. Collin and his mother gave her a hug before she left. She tensed while Collin held her, and hurt and confusion was in his eyes as he pulled away. His mother was next, hugging her tightly as Collin walked slowly into the house, his shoulders slumping.

"You don't have to worry about Collin anymore Mrs. Littlesea. It will happen one day," she whispered into Mrs. Littlesea's ear. The women stared at Melody confused, before comprehension seemed to dawn on her face. She took Melody in as if seeing her for the first time, and then a smile filled the older woman's face.

"Then I won't anymore, sweet girl." Mrs. Littlesea kissed Melody's forehead before letting go, an infectious smile on her face as she waved goodbye to Melody from the porch.

Melody blinked away tears as she drove away, beeping her horn goodbye. Even back when everyone couldn't stand the sight of Melody, and she was hopped up on drugs and alcohol all the time, Mrs. Littlesea didn't hate. Collin's mom was always understanding, and had never said one harsh word to Melody in all the years she had known Melody. It didn't make sense, all Melody ever did was make her son heartbroken.

But Mrs. Littlesea still cared.

Melody didn't know what she had done to deserve a step-mother like Mrs. Littlesea.

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Right now I'm on chapter eighteen, but I planned out the rest of my chapters and it should end on chapter 28. It may be more or less, but I believe I will end around there. I've got a lot in store for you guys, and I'm pretty happy with it as of right now.


	9. Give An Inch

Chapter 9: Give An Inch

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Melody's birthday passed, finally making her twenty-one. It was odd not to have to sneak beer or alcohol, or use a fake ID to get it. Maybe when her co-workers asked her to go out on Friday nights she could actually go. They never seemed to realize she wasn't twenty-one before, not even her boss. Melody kept her mouth shut just in case she happened to run into someone.

She was finally beginning to be able to deal with her newly acquired feelings for Collin. No one knew, except maybe his mother and Brady. She couldn't tell if Brady had figured it out or not, but he had caught her that one day and for a long time afterwards carefully watched her. Melody was beginning to become easily distracted by Collin. At least the summer months had passed, because she wasn't sure how many more excuses she could make to avoid swimming with him before she ran out of them.

Collin was changing too, looking at her in a way he never had before. It wasn't desperate, more like thoughtful. His eyes weren't always filled with lust, but an unnamable emotion instead. She couldn't figure out what it was, but she thought she was starting to like it and even return it too.

She'd given up keeping track of when Collin would be legal. The days dragged by too slowly and it was driving her insane to count them. Collin was at her house now, silently watching her as she attempted to make some homemade carrot cake. So far all she'd done was make a mess.

"Okay, I know I promised to feed you but this isn't working out very well," Melody giggled, attempting to fling the gooey mixture off her hands and into the bowl. She had somehow made the dough too dry, and her attempt at making it more wet had ended horribly to say the least.

The thoughtful look had left his eyes, and he came over to lean over her, looking into the bowl. Her laughter quieted and she clutched her fist, staring down into the bowl with him and feeling the planes of his chest against her back. She felt every ripple, every contour to his body and it made her breathless. "It doesn't look to bad," he murmured. She tilted her head back to look at him, and a teasing grin was on his face. She nudged him with an elbow, rolling her eyes.

"At least I tried! You know I'm not that much of a cook." Collin actually cooked better than her. Not as good as his mother, but still better than her. At least she didn't burn water, something Sarah somehow had accomplished once. Sarah couldn't even cook ramen. Melody looked like a five star chef compared to her.

"You did try," he agreed. "Now let's get this in the oven and see what it taste like."

It was a joint effort, cleaning the kitchen back to its original condition and getting the glue-like substance off her hands. She had to wash for almost five minute to get it all off. Her clothes were probably going to be a disaster to clean.

They both sat at the table when finished. Sarah was still at work. Her mother owned the local gas station so Sarah got paid pretty well for helping her mother to keep it running. It was a joint effort between the two, something that Sarah had stepped up for about two years back when Melody started cleaning up her act too.

Collin was staring at her again with that unreadable expression. Melody began to tap her fingernails on the table biting her lip, looking anywhere but at him.

"So how has school been," she asked, clearing her throat.

He gave her a small smile. "Good, kind of tough with pack and all, but you already knew that."

She did, he had been having the same problem of balancing pack and school since she met him. All the pack struggled with it. There were only a few of them in school still though.

"We've known each other for three years," he said suddenly, as if this had just dawned on him.

"Yes," she agreed softly.

"It's been three years, and we're still the same as before." He looked thoughtful, taking a deep breath in as she stared at the counter top.

Maybe he did understand all the time that had gone by wasted.

She made a noise of agreement in the back of her throat, her smile not reaching her eyes.

"Melody?" His voice had come out deeper than normal, more level, which startled her enough to look his way. "Last time I kissed you, you cried."

Melody winced, the taps on the table speeding up in time with her anxiety. "I… did," she agreed in a halted voice. She hadn't meant to cry, but all she could think about during the kiss was how she was taking advantage of this kid who looked at her as if she were life itself. She had felt horrible, but didn't want to hurt him further by pulling away.

But the tears in her eyes hurt him more anyways.

He stared at her unblinking, waiting to speak until their eyes met again. "If I kissed you now would you do the same thing?"

She froze, her eyes widening into saucers. She couldn't pull her eyes off of him, too frightened to do anything at all. Collin went from contemplative to worried, watching her as she watched him. "Melody, are you breathing?"

She realized she wasn't, and took a deep breath in and finally pried her eyes away from his. "Why do you ask that?" she murmured.

"Because people are whispering things in my ear, and now you're giving me mixed signals all the time."

She bit her cheek hard, the metallic taste of blood filling her mouth. A perusal with her tongue revealed the mutilated flesh, throbbing in time with her heartbeat.

Well she hadn't done a very good job hiding her feelings.

There was Brady, who now she was almost positive had said something to Collin. Then there was Collin's mother too, who Melody just had to reassure the other day.

Melody was never very good at covering the truth. Even she knew that.

She didn't know what to say to him. Denying she felt that way would only hurt him, but admitting it would be just as bad for her. She wasn't ready for that yet, it was too soon. One could say this had been three years in the making, but Collin was only seventeen. It was illegal, it was wrong.

But what made this so different from all the other illegal stuff she did?

The thought stilled her. Drugs were illegal at any age, and drinking wasn't allow until twenty-one which she had just turned. She was driving before she even had her license, and had sex the first time a fourteen. It wasn't something she was proud of. She had gone to her first high school party. The guy she was with kept giving her more alcohol, and she didn't know her tolerance back then. It was the first time she had gotten drunk.

The next morning she had woken up alone in a bed, naked and more hung over than she really knew what to do with herself. He came around the next day, apologizing during school when he met her in the hall, telling her that he had gotten drunk and had to get home before his mom noticed he had not come back that night. She had accepted it, and they dated a few more weeks before going their separate ways. Shortly after the world of drugs and alcohol had opened to her and she hadn't looked back.

No, this was different because she was trying to get her act together. No more illegal stuff. She had to be better than that.

"It doesn't matter what I feel," she said firmly. "It's illegal, and I'm not like that anymore." She could see the cogs in his brain working this out, and when he did he stared unmoving at her.

"So you finally feel that way about me," he said when he gathered himself enough to respond. His body was tense, and eyes wider than usual.

"It doesn't matter," she repeated.

He stared at her a moment longer and flung himself into a standing position, his chair skidding a few feet behind him with the sudden movement. He took a step closer to her and sat down in the chair next to her.

"Melody, what do you mean it doesn't matter?" he said incredulously. "That's all that _has_ mattered."

She swallowed thickly. "It's illegal," she answered simply.

His eyes drifted back and forth to her eyes, left to right, over and over again as he tried to understand her. "Melody, it's only illegal if my parents were to press charges. Do you really think my mother would do that?"

What?

Her brows furrowed, and she stared down at the table tracing the flowery pattern engraved around the edges. Collin's mother adored her, more than anything the woman wanted both of them to be with each other. Collin's dad really didn't care, but thought it would be nice for them to date. She brought her gaze back up to find Collin closer than before. She flinched back, able to count every individual eyelash that line his eyes. His skin was dark, darker than any of his pack mates, but his eyes were the lightest too. They were beautiful eyes, a caramel brown that got darker near the edges.

She turned her face immediately, knowing exactly what he meant to do. "Collin," she whispered, her body pushed as far back in her chair as it could go.

"Melody," he said softly in her ear, making her heart race. "It's okay. I'm not a kid anymore. You don't have to feel bad or be afraid." She could feel him breathe her in, his nose a hairs breath away from her neck. He brought it down her neck and under her chin before pulling away, her stomach a mess of nerves and butterflies.

"You know, before I could tell you didn't want it. You were happy to continue on as we had, so I had to be happy too." But he wasn't happy, she thought to herself idly. "But now that I know I'm not going to continue on like this. I love you, I have for years. I love you more than words, more than you could ever understand, and watching you all these years so close yet so far away was torture."

Her eyes filled with tears at his admittance. He had never said anything like this to her before, although she could always tell he felt that way. Anyone with eyes could.

"I do love you Collin," she murmured turning towards him.

"But do you love me like I love you?" he asked.

"I-I don't know," she stumbled out. "Everything is so confusing, and now I don't understand anything."

He sat back in his chair, watching her with that look that infuriated her on his face. She couldn't understand it, and that frustrated her at this moment. She was so vulnerable, yet he got to keep his secrets? It wasn't fair.

But then it wasn't fair for him to be pining after her all these years either, a voice in her head whispered. No, there was no such thing as fair in the real world.

"I want to do the right thing," she muttered, fidgeting with her hands.

"The right thing is to be with me."

She shook her head roughly, her hair falling out the loose bun she had put it in. "It's to wait until your eighteen."

He sat back as if stunned, taking her in with large eyes.

"It's the right thing," she whispered again, biting her lip.

"So the right thing is to torture me for another year?" he stated incredulously.

This wasn't going the way she planned. None of this was.

"What did I do to torture you?" she asked in a soft voice.

"Being here," he said, gesturing to her general area. "Being near you, and being away. Touching you, yet not being able to touch you the way I want. All of it is torture."

There was never a happy ending for Collin when it came to Melody. She knew that, his best friends did along with his pack. Everyone seemed to know this except him. She didn't know if she was an exceptional actress, or if it was just the imprint.

"I don't know what to do," she said in a vulnerable voice. "I know what's morally right, but then that hurts you."

He placed his hand on top of hers, squeezing it. "Then just be with me. No matter what you think you're outcomes aren't that great. At least someone will be happy out of this, and in a year none of this will even matter anymore."

The thought was too delicious for her deny. It all wouldn't matter in a year. But even as he said that her stomach heaved.

She turned to him before standing up slowly, sitting down in his lap and wrapping her arms around his neck with her head leaning on his collar bone. She had done this before, back when Collin was younger and needed a lot more assurance from her. She felt him tense for a moment, before loosely placing his arms around her. "I can't do that yet," she murmured against his skin. "I'll-I'll try more things with you. I won't avoid you anymore. I-"

"I knew it!" he cut in with a snort. "I thought you were avoiding me! Brady told me he thought it was because your feelings were starting to change but I brushed it off. But then things started adding up."

She nodded, scrunching her face up. "But I'll try harder. I'm not sure what we'll be, but it's more than we are now." She sent him a questioning look and he grinned, his mood already improving.

"Does that mean we can go on dates?"

"Let's not call them that." Going on dates meant they were dating, and she wasn't ready to say that yet.

He gave her a mischievous grin. "Does that mean we're friends with benefits?" he teased.

She slapped him lightly on the shoulder, rolling her eyes. "Definitely not." She wasn't even sure if she could kiss him yet.

"So we're working on becoming an item?" he tried again.

"Let's not call it anything," she answered.

"Then it will be the same as before."

"No, it will be different," she promised.

"How different?"

"Different," was her only response. She wasn't willing to say anything she wasn't certain she was willing to give. She had already messed with him enough.

He sighed, but didn't complain. He had made headway for the first time in years. "I love you," he whispered softly, just holding her against him.

She loved him too.

* * *

For some reason I had really bad writers block this week. It took me about a week to write chapter 18, when usually I'm able to get out a few chapters in that amount. At least I got past it though. There will be 28 chapters for sure. :)

Also, after this chapter I will be changing my to _the-whispering-willow_. I've always wanted to change it, but never really thought about what I would change it to. Next update this will be my name.


	10. The Revelation

Chapter 10: The Revelation

* * *

Melody finished jotting down her last note of the day, handing her shift over to Bethany, a sweet girl with brown curls down to her shoulders. She didn't know Bethany very well, but no one had ever said anything bad about the girl. After Melody explained all the important things that had happened during her shift and directed Bethany to the list of people she was expecting calls from, she clocked out, her heels making faint clicking noises on the shiny, linoleum floor.

Sarah sat in the parking lot waiting for her, the seat pushed back and leaning at an angle so that she could rest. When Melody got closer Sarah pulled the sunglasses off her face, smiling as she readjusted her seat.

"How was today?" Sarah asked, putting the car into gear. In response Melody groaned, slumping down in her seat and resting her head on the window.

"I'm ready to get out of here," Melody muttered. Sarah laughed, pulling out of the parking lot and onto the main road.

"Are you still coming tonight?" Sarah asked, glancing at her friend.

"I need a drink after today," Melody replied, rubbing her head. Work had been crazy, and it had taken all of her power to not watch the time like a hawk throughout the day.

They were going out tonight for a drink and nothing more. At least that was Melody's plan. She wasn't quite sure about Sarah. Sarah seemed to be looking for her next beau after the last one didn't work out too well. Collin, of course, tried to convince her the other night not to go, but after today's day she wasn't hearing any of it.

When they got home they rested, Melody sighing as she finally got to take off her heels for the first time in nine hours. Another pair would be going on tonight of course, but for now her feet would rest. Before long she was up and in the bathroom, redoing her makeup to something darker and pulling herself into a tight fitting navy blue dress. It ended an inch or so above her fingers, and had little jewels decorating the top of it. She finished the look with a pair of black heels, pinning her bangs out of the way for the night. When Sarah saw her she gave her two thumbs up, giving her a raunchy look.

"I wish I could wear stuff like that. I don't have the boobs for it." Sarah placed her hands on her own, squeezing as she frowned.

"Yeah, but you're way more in shape than me," Melody muttered. Melody tried joining Sarah at the gym sometimes, but Melody didn't get any enjoyment out of it like Sarah did. Honestly, Melody felt like she was dying every time she exercised, her breathing becoming uncontrollable and face a dark, splotchy red in color. The result was the only exercise Melody did was when she walked around La Push.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Sarah said, shooing her out the door. "Okay, let's go."

Melody sometimes liked to wonder about any boundaries her friendship with Sarah may have, but in truth they didn't have any. There was nothing they were afraid of telling each other, and no secrets to hide.

At least there were none when it came to her specifically. Collin was a different story. Those weren't her secrets to tell.

If Sarah somehow figured out something odd was going on with Collin Melody knew she would tell Sarah. She had told Collin that a long ago, and it didn't sit well with him. But Sarah never asked any odd questions, she almost seemed to ignore any weirdness he may have. She wasn't sure if it was on purpose or not, but she was thankful either way.

"Shove the third CD in," Sarah mumbled, starting the car up. Melody reached for the CD's in the visor, pulling the third one out and placing it into the CD-ROM. Melody snorted as the music filtered through of the speaker, turning to stare at Sarah with a smile.

"What the heck is this?" Melody asked.

Sarah smirked, replying, "Inspirational music."

Melody guessed it could be taken as that. After all, 'Eye of the Tiger' was pretty inspirational and got your blood pumping. It was just unexpected.

It wasn't very long before they got to the club, both girls giggly from the car ride there. There were only two bouncers that worked at the small club Melody and Sarah frequented. They both always worked Fridays and Saturdays, and then one worked the other days. Eric grinned when he saw them, his hands held out in welcome.

"If it isn't my two favorite customers."

Sarah snorted, rolling her eyes with a smile. "We're only your favorite because we take care of ourselves in here and don't give you guys any shit."

"Don't be that way," Ryker teased. He always went by his last name. At this point Melody wasn't even certain he had a first.

"You got a haircut," Melody said happily, reaching up to run a hand through his buzz cut. He shrugged his shoulders with a grimace.

"The wifey asked for it."

She'd only seen his wife once in the five years she had been sneaking off to this place. The woman was beautiful, with long brown hair and hazel eyes. She had one hell of an angry face though. She could almost compete with Mila.

"The wife gets what the wife wants," Eric smiled.

"True," Ryker said with a grin.

They let them in the building, gesturing with a hand into the dark cavern as if it were the red carpet. Melody shrugged by, pulling down her short, tight dress as she went. Sarah practically raced to the bar, waving hello to all the bar tenders there before setting her sights on the new one recently hired. Melody knew that look. Sarah had plans for him, and even though Melody wasn't sure how Sarah planned to get him Melody was sure that that it would happen before they left.

Melody didn't feel like dancing tonight. Well, it was more like she wanted to but didn't have the heart to screw over Collin anymore. She knew how it felt now. Maybe she could convince him to come to the club and dance with her. She didn't have any clue how she would do it, considering Collin always said that clubs 'weren't his scene' and things like that.

It could be a life goal maybe. Getting Collin into a club with her.

After about an hour of drinks Melody would certainly say she was tipsy, especially considering the fact that she was hanging off some random guy that she'd never seen in her life. They weren't doing anything remotely sexual, really only leaning heavily on each other for balance and finding everything funny. Earlier Sarah had come back with a pout, muttering that her guy was taken and had been dating a girl for a year. Sarah moved on quick though, and now Melody believed that Sarah was in the bathroom with one of her 'regular's' as Melody liked to put it.

When 3:30 rolled by Melody finally decided to get going. She had stopped drinking an hour ago in the hopes of getting some of it out of her system.

"I'm tired," Sarah whined, stumbling to the back seat. Sarah plopped down face first, her legs still dangling out the car.

Melody stared at her for a moment, trying to figure out a good way to get her friend in without hurting Sarah. She leaned forward, hiking Sarah's legs in the air and carefully closing the door. Sarah looked awkward as hell back there, but she hadn't moved from her slumber.

Two shining eyes staring at her gave her a pause. She blinked, staring into the alley where the two eyes gleamed yellow. She reached down carefully in the passenger seat without looking away, reaching for her mace.

The eyes seemed to shift, losing their yellow gleam and becoming smaller and disappearing. Cracks filled the air and a grunt was heard, before Melody finally figured out what it was.

"Who is that?" she whisper yelled into the alley.

"It's me," the voice mumbled in an unused voice. She gazed into the dark space between the buildings, holding onto the door unsure.

What the heck was David doing over here?

David was the last person to phase in the pack, and the youngest to be in the pack at fifteen. She didn't know him very well, but she'd know his face anywhere. She remembered seeing it after he had his accident, his face practically ripped off after killing his first vampire. There were no scars left behind from that incident, but a person didn't forget something like that very easy. It seemed like every time she looked at him she could see the tear going through the right side of his face, how the blood flowed down his shirt in rivers and the skin flapped with every movement grotesquely.

"I'm here watching you," he muttered once he got closer, sticking his hands in his basketball shorts awkwardly and scuffing at the dirt on the ground with a bare foot.

She stared up at his face in incomprehension. She thought they didn't watch her when she left at night. Collin had never mentioned anything about it before. The thought had never even popped into her head that they watched her to keep her safe during this time.

"So," she said slowly, the words almost working against her making it hard to get them out. "You're saying the pack has been watching me for three years while I went clubbing?"

David swiftly glanced at her before nodding, going back to rolling the rock under his foot. "We used to send someone in the club to watch you too, but Collin couldn't take watching that in our heads anymore and begged us to just keep guard outside near the exits.

Melody stared at David wide eyed, almost unwilling to believe what he just said.

Collin had watched it all.

He had seen how she would grind herself against random guys like a two dollar whore. He watched as she sneaked off to the back to get laid, maybe even hearing her moans of pleasure as she did. He observed through his pack members as she got drunk off her ass and rubbed places on guys that would probably make even her mother cringe.

Melody immediately burst into tears, sliding down against the car and almost falling over in her heels. David jumped, wringing his hands awkwardly unsure what to do.

"What's wrong?" he asked, a frown on his face. He took a hesitant step towards her, before deciding against it and keeping a wide arc around her, as if her crying were contagious.

Whatever Melody had responded was not English. Hell, she wasn't sure if it meant anything in any language, her tears discombobulating her voice to make it thick and not understandable.

"Did I say something?" he tried again, staring down awkwardly at her. Melody didn't know what to say, so she only shook her head no and continued to cry.

She couldn't understand how Collin didn't hate her. If she was in his position and he had done this to her she would have. She couldn't understand how he could wrap his arms around her, knowing how so many men had done the same.

Melody truly hated herself.

"Collin's gonna be fucking pissed at you David," she heard Brady say in an annoyed voice, suddenly appearing out of the night. Jesus. How many of the pack followed her around at once?

"Come on Melody, what's going on?" Brady said carefully, sitting down next to her. He gestured for David to disappear, which he did happily.

Brady listened as she tried to tell him what was wrong. His brows furrowed down as he listened carefully to her words, attempting to understand her. He seemed to get it, and when he pulled away he stared at her as if he had never seen her before.

"You didn't know we followed you? We follow you everywhere off the Res though. We do it to all imprints."

Melody mumbled something again, bursting into tears once she finished the last word.

"You didn't think we would follow you here? So this whole time…" his voice trailed off, staring at her once again.

"I'm so stupid," she murmured, wiping at her face.

Brady didn't say anything, only watched her face.

"I'm such a fucking ass hole," she grumbled, staring at the used cigarette that had been rolling across the ground in the wind.

Brady didn't deny it, but placed a hesitant hand on her knee.

Melody knew one thing. From now on she would do a lot less screwing around with Collin.

* * *

This is the full explanation on why the pack didn't like Melody. A lot of reviews were angry at the pack, but I think anyone in their position would have acted similar to them. They had watched her every year as this went on, and Collin saw it too when the pack didn't guard their thoughts well.


	11. The Interim Babysitter

Chapter 11: The Interim Babysitter

* * *

Melody didn't know how she got into this position. It didn't really make sense to her, and never before had this happened in all three years of knowing Collin. She didn't think the pack trusted her enough with this responsibility.

Somehow Collin had dragged her into this. She still wasn't sure how, but he did.

No, she knew how. After last night she was willing to do just about anything for Collin. Literally one moment she was resting at home watching Poker, and yes she did enjoy watching no matter how weird it sounded for a twenty-one year old to watch, and the next Collin was dragging her over to Paul and Lizzy's in a tizzy screaming about losing his mind.

Well she had certainly joined him in the lost minds club.

Currently Annabelle was screaming in a corner, chucking crayons across the floor and yelling that she was going to tell her daddy on everyone. Her sister Lenny was goading her from another corner, sticking her tongue from the corner we had separated them from. As for the twins we practically avoided them as bad as that sounded. Will was heavily attached to his mother Kim, who was not here. He had been crying since his parents had left from what Melody understood, and since Will was bawling his twin Gareth had to join him. The only thing that seemed to soothe the two of them was the familiar face of six year old Jordyn. Jordyn liked to pretend she was the babysitter, and Melody honestly was beginning to think the little girl was. She could boss all the pack kids around and most of the time they actually listened to her.

Because of the twins crying and Annabelle and her little sister's screaming all the babies had woken up. Both Brady and Collin were rocking them back in forth with an animalistic panic in their eyes. They kept looking towards Melody as if waiting for her to work her feminine magic and make the chaos stop, but she was as lost as them. She hadn't grown up with kids around her, and most of the time she thought of children as strange little beast put on this world to torture her.

"Make it stop," Brady moaned loudly, pacing back and forth with the small child in his arms. He gave up, racing up stairs away from everyone, the baby still in his arms.

"Wait, where is Akilina?" Collin asked frozen, his mouth whispering numbers as he counted heads. "Shit, she's missing. We can't leave her alone! She wanders off into the forest to play with Mila's wolf!"

Melody winced, wishing she was anywhere but here. Mila was going to kill Melody for losing her kid. She just knew it. Mila hated her already, and losing the woman's kids was not helping her case at all.

"Come here," she yelled over the noise. "Give me the baby. Go sniff her out or something." Collin's face widened in surprise as if the thought had never occurred to him. He quickly handed the crying baby to her and darted off in search of the missing child.

When he left Melody stared awkwardly at the screaming child in her arms. He looked a lot like Embry, she had to admit. He had his dark eyes and flat nose, and even the way he screamed was like Embry. His brows scrunched down and face a dark burgundy. She bit her lip, sitting down on the nearby sofa and carefully holding her arms around the child. After a few minutes he was reduced to small cries and whimpers, his little fingers squeezing at nothing and mouth searching for a food source.

"You're hungry," she whispered, finally recognizing what was wrong with him. She walked over to the kitchen where she knew some bottles were before sticking it in the microwave to warm up. She paused for a moment to stare at the numbers, unsure exactly how warm to make it. Well when she warmed hot chocolate in the microwave it took a little more than a minute, she reasoned. With that in mind she decided on twenty seconds, shaking the bottle when it was finished and placing it in his mouth. The response was immediate, and he quieted down attempting to grasp the bottle in his fisted hands.

After a few minutes Collin raced back in with a giggling Akilina, shoving the little girl next to Melody as he raced over to try to stop the fight that had begun between Lizzy and Paul's little girls. At this point coloring books had gotten involved. Annabelle would rip a page out of Lenny's favorite coloring book and a tantrum would ensue, followed by Lenny doing the same to Annabelle's book. Melody wasn't even sure the girls were breathing anymore based on the never ending screaming and the blood red color of their faces.

All Melody knew was she was glad to not be dealing with those two.

She looked in front of the TV to see Jordyn holding one of the twins in her lap, Jordyn's little brother by her side as they watched a cartoon quietly.

Was it sad that a six year old girl was a better babysitter than all of them put together? Jordyn handled Will and her little brother Samuel like a pro.

Annabelle's little sister Lenny was shoved at Melody, her gasping cried still coming out of her mouth. She couldn't get anything out of Collin. All she could hear was him mumbling under his breath, "Separate them. Separate them." He said it over and over again, on a loop.

"I hate Anna!" Lenny shouted, screeching afterwards making Melody wince. Lenny threw her little fist about, her body sliding down the couch as she kicked her feet.

Melody carefully avoided the flailing girl's limbs. Akilina watched Annabelle with interest, thoughts clearly racing in the two year old's dark eyes. Akilina brought her eyes to Melody's.

"She bad," Akilina pronounced, staring shyly up at Melody.

Melody smiled, whispering something into Akilina's ear. The little girl agreed with a nod, racing to the other side of Lenny and grabbing the nearby blocks.

"Let's pay," Akilina said simply. Lenny paused, staring at Akilina. Lenny seemed to understand that Akilina was trying to say 'play' because a moment later she joined. They both sat on the love seat next to her, attempting to balance the blocks as high as they could go until they fell. Both girls would giggle when that happened, before repeating the process again.

In the mean time Collin had made no headlines with Annabelle. She was throwing things at Collin as he tried to inch near her. Finally he gave up, using his agility to get closer and scoop her up. He ran outside with the little girl, her slapping and pulling at him the whole time.

At least Melody was free of the little brat. Lenny seemed to be fine without her sister. If anything she was better, happier and smiling.

Brady came down the stairs, carefully avoiding the creaky step at the top. "Gareth is asleep upstairs." Gareth's twin Will, the worse of the two, was already asleep in front of the TV. Jordyn's arms were still wrapped around him, her eyes glued to the screen. Jordyn's brother Samuel was starting to nod off too, his head falling every few seconds before roughly pulling his head back up.

Brady did a double take at Melody, taking in the three kids surrounding her. The little boy in her arms began to fuss as soon as the bottle emptied, making small noises of complaints.

Brady got on his knees before her, staring at him. "Did you burp him?"

Melody blinked vapidly, her mouth slightly opening in surprise. She didn't even know she was supposed to do that. She thought babies could do that by themselves. "How do you do that?"

He took Embry Jr. from her arms, patting his back lightly as Brady waited for the noise to come out.

It did, very soon. Except he didn't only burp, but threw up all over Brady's shirt. It looked to be about half of the bottle on Brady's shoulder. Brady's eyes widened in shock, before gagging and handing him back over to Melody.

"Here, you take him." He raced off to the bathroom, carefully stripping his shirt off as he went. She sat little Embry down in her lap, unsure if she really wanted to be his next victim. Lenny seemed to understand Melody's unsureness, because she raced across the living room and came back with a small cloth.

"Pudit unda him," Lenny explained, before going back over to where Akilina waited patiently for her.

Melody stared at the white cloth with little rubber ducky's in floaties, before placing it awkwardly on her shoulder and hoping for the best. He only threw up a little more, not enough to really get on her. She wasn't sure how long to burp him, and after about five minutes she stopped. Melody went to place him in her lap but realized he had fallen asleep.

Finally, she had peace.

Every now and then she could hear a scream coming from Annabelle from outside, but other than that everything was under control. Most of the kids had fallen asleep by now. Only Lenny and Akilina were the survivors, and those two were fighting it with everything they had.

"How did you get them to be quiet?" Brady asked in amazement. He was shirtless, his shorts riding low on his hips.

"Collin took one for the team," she said gravely, gesturing with her head to outside where Collin was still attempting to calm the little she-devil that took the form of Annabelle Lahote.

Brady sighed loudly, sitting down in the couch next to her and placing his arms behind his head, one foot propped up by his knee. "At least Joseph isn't here. One less kid for us to deal with." The only pack kid that wasn't here was Kim and Jared's oldest. Kim had dropped him off at a friend's to spend the day. "David's an asshole. He ditched us as soon as things started to go south, which was immediate. He's being a chicken shit, doing laps around the house in order to avoid coming in here."

Melody had only met David, the pack's youngest member, a handful of times. He didn't seem the type for conversation, more like the awkward type that preferred video games over girls.

Melody wagered that he was worse with kids than even she was.

"I gotta hand it to you. I didn't think you'd pull through. When Collin suggested trying to get you to come over to help I brushed it off, expecting you to go right back out that door as soon as you saw all this. You stuck around though," Brady said.

Melody shrugged, already knowing the packs opinion of her. Besides, she owed Collin for all those years she had hurt him. She carefully avoided Brady's gaze, settling for watching the two girls by her side beginning to drift off.

"We don't hate you," he said suddenly, startling her. "We just don't agree with everything you do. You've hurt Collin a lot, and we can't help but feel angry about it."

She stared down at the ground, suddenly finding the carpet very interesting. They all had seen what she was like, not only Collin. Except they could see her clearly, where Collin was biased because of the imprint. She wasn't sure if she'd ever be able to be the perfect imprint for Collin. She came with baggage, and not the type of baggage they were used to.

Right now she could _really_ use a cigarette.

"I don't mean to hurt him on purpose," she murmured, thinking back to that first year. She thought it would hurt a lot at first but get better with time. "When I tried to leave I thought it was for the best. I didn't understand how this worked back then." She thought it could be like drugs, and she tried to do the things they did to her in rehab when getting away from Collin. Each time ended badly. "Now when I leave I'm not leaving for good. Sometimes I just need space," she whispered. She needed to regroup herself every now and then, and she couldn't do that with Collin breathing right next to her. Most of the time it was about him anyways.

Melody had really fucked Collin over throughout the years.

"We just worry about him," he said softly, watching as each breath entered his sleeping imprint. Akilina turned slightly as if feeling his eyes on her, before evening her breath once more in a deep sleep.

"I know." A lot of people worry about Collin. The pack really is a big family for him, filled with love and support. They helped Collin a lot that first year, sticking with him as Melody had brought Collin through hell and back in the years after. "How the hell did you get roped into this anyways?" she asked, uncomfortable with the turn the conversation had taken.

Brady smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "All of them wanted a break from the kids. Collin, David, and me bet on the super bowl and lost."

She snorted. "Then David didn't even pay his debt." She hadn't even seen so much as a swish of a tail since she came here.

Brady grimaced, muttering something intelligible under his breath. The front door opened and Collin appeared, dirt covering most of his skin and a sleeping Annabelle in his arms.

"She tired herself out," he mumbled. Collin glanced at them both, a death stare in his eyes. "Whoever wakes her up gets to take care of her."

It was enough to silence them both, and they remained that way until the pack began to make their way over. Emily took one glance at the torn apart room and sighed, Sam's eyes widening at the state the three of them were in.

"I take it things didn't go very well?" Sam asked lightly.

A low snarl was heard from Brady, followed by Collin mouthing for Sam to be quiet and Melody glaring. Sam almost burst into laughter at Collin's state, taking in the chunks of dirt sticking to his skin and dirtied clothes, but managed to hold himself together. By the slight smirk on Sam's face Melody could tell Sam knew exactly what had happened to Collin.

Emily picked up Samuel and he let out a noise of complaint before falling back to sleep in her arms, snuggling into the crook of her shoulder. Jordyn was a little harder, since she was wrapped all around Will. The moment Sam had finally freed her of Will he woke up, blinking sleepy eyes and bursting into tears at Sam's face near his. It caused a chain reacting, causing all of the children to wake up. Sam gave us a sheepish look before apologizing and all but running out the house after Emily who had left as soon as she had Samuel in her arms.

"Here, take her I can't do it again," Collin said, attempting to hand her Annabelle who was blinking the sleep from her eyes.

"Are you crazy? Give her to Brady," Melody snorted, holding tightly onto little Embry in her arms. She already claimed Embry. He was the easy one and she was _not_ trading.

The moment Brady heard his name he paused his rocking, giving them a look of panic before bolting up the stairs. An audible click could be heard in his wake. When Melody brought her gaze back to Collin she saw that he had been slowly trying to ease Annabelle into her lap. Melody glared, placing the baby in the center of her lap. Her side was already protected by Akilina, who had been watching them keenly since waking up.

"Please," he begged. Annabelle was already starting to whine, her eyes droopy from being woke up too soon. When she noticed Melody's face getting closer Annabelle shoved her little hand in Melody's face to get away from her, forcing Melody's head back roughly.

Melody scowled at the little girl, and Annabelle scowled back until she decided on bursting into tears.

"I am not taking that demon Collin," she whispered.

"Please," he murmured again, his eyes becoming frightful. "I can't, not again. I'll take care of all the kids, just not her."

"Go get David," she demanded, rocking Embry in her lap. Melody noticed from the corner of her eye Lenny was somehow falling asleep again despite all the noise.

She would take Lenny, but she would not take her sister.

"There's no way to get him back in here! I'd have to drag him by his tail! He'd refuse to shift back anyways." The pack had decided when Jordyn was born to keep the knowledge of shifting from their kids. They told the children the stories just like all the other Res kids, but they thought it was too iffy to let a bunch of two year olds have that knowledge.

"Collin, she just hit me in the face," she complained. She could only imagine what Annabelle would do to her when alone.

"Look at me!" he burst. "She practically dragged me through a meat grinder."

"Exactly, better let you go through twice than have me go through too." Melody had never denied that she was selfish.

Despair etched into his face, before he became thoughtful. "Then go in Lenny's room. I'll stay out here."

She stared at him suspiciously, before walking down the hall to the little girl's room. It was obvious which room was her's, colorful blocks spelling out "LENNY" on the door. The first thing she did was place Embry Jr. on the bed. He stared at her with large doe eyes, before his eyes drifted shut. An audible click disturbed her, along with a childish giggle. She flung her head towards the door, her neck making a distinct crack with the motion.

It was the devil herself.

"Uncle Collin said to come in here because you had lots of candy," Annabelle twisted shyly, her shoulders turning back and forth with the movement.

Melody blinked. Then she blinked again. She had to do it once more before she could bring herself to believe that Collin had actually done this to her. Melody didn't respond, moving towards the door at lightening pace to shove it open.

But the door wouldn't move.

"Collin!" she shouted, wincing as she glanced back at the sleeping baby. "Collin," she whispered angrily. "I know you can hear me!"

"I told you I couldn't do it anymore," he answered from behind the door.

"Open the damn door!" She couldn't believe he had actually barricaded her in the room.

"Don't use nasty words," was his only response. She could hear childish laughter from the other side of the door. At least someone found this amusing.

"Collin I'm so freaking serious right now. Open. The. Door," she demanded, shoving her palm against the wood with every pause.

"It's for your own good."

She glared at the door. "Where the heck did you get that from? It's for your good not mine!"

"This one's for the team," he muttered back.

Melody stared at the ceiling in exasperation, finally noticing how quiet the room she was in was. She turned around slowly, feeling almost as if she were the main character of a horror movie. Annabelle was watching her expectantly.

"Candy?" Annabelle asked, once she was sure she had Melody's attention.

Melody slid against the door until she sat on the floor. "Collin, hurry up and get me some freaking candy before she freaks out." She could hear scuffling on the other side of the door followed by his loud and hurried footsteps down the hall.

Annabelle's face turned into a frown and she held her hand out inching towards Melody. "Candy." This time Annabelle's voice wasn't as pleasant, and Melody could tell a tantrum was in the making.

"I hate him. I hate him. I hate him," Melody mumbled under her breath. "Um, Annabelle," she said, stalling for time. "How much do you like candy?'

"A lot." Annabelle stared unblinking at Melody, unnerving her.

"Uh, that's good. I like candy too. I-uh- like all kinds of candy."

Annabelle nodded as if this were understandable. "Sometimes when daddy doesn't give me candy I get mad," she answered. The words felt more like a threat than anything.

Melody laughed nervously. "Me too."

She didn't know what the hell she was saying anymore.

"Psst," she heard from behind the door. "I found some twinkies. I can't find any candy."

"Just throw it in here," she whispered back. She made sure to place her body firmly against the door, getting ready for when Collin would open the door. She should have known she was no match for him. It was as if Collin didn't even register the fact that Melody was shoving with all her might against the door, the only cue being her grunts which even then he didn't connect.

At least she tried.

She picked up the twinkies, waving them sheepishly in the air. "Look, sugar!" Melody said with false happiness, hoping the little girl would accept it with no qualms.

Annabelle face turned into an angry pout, making a sarcastic noise at Melody. "Candy!" she shouted, stomping her foot hard against the wooden floor.

Fuck her life. Fuck everything.

"Calm down Annabelle," Melody said, raising her hands towards Annabelle like one would a frightened animal. But it was too late. Annabelle threw herself against the walls in tears, and Melody watched her like an alien would a human for the first time.

Unfortunately the noise woke up little Embry. He took one look at the flailing girl in the center of the room chucking blocks against the walls and burst into tears.

Melody was _never_ going to have children.

"I fucking hate this kid," she muttered under her breath, trying to figure out how to get to the baby without receiving a black eye.

"Hey Annabelle! Yummy, look at the yummy twinky." Melody took a large bite of the snack, hoping to draw Annabelle's attention. She didn't particularly like twinkies, she found them too sugary and greasy, but in this situation she would fake it like her life depended on it, which it did.

Annabelle stopped at once, staring at Melody as she hiccupped. "I want it!" she shouted impatiently.

Without a second thought Melody handed all four of them to Annabelle, racing over to the baby and rocking him in her arms.

"Collin, what the heck happened in here?"

Embry and Mila. Thank freaking god.

"I don't know," she heard him answer, sounding unsure.

"Where is little Em?" she heard Embry ask.

There was a moment of silence. "He's in Lenny's room… with Melody."

The house became still, before she could hear marching towards her door. "Collin what the hell man? Why is the door barricaded?"

"I couldn't take it," he burst out. "Look at me! I was going crazy. Annabelle is…" his voice faded off and it became quiet again.

"You're never watching the kids again." It was the first time she heard Mila speak in the conversation, her heavily accented words somehow serving as a comfort and a fright for Melody.

"He cracked under pressure," Embry said carefully. "Don't be too hard on him. He never watched all of them at once." She could hear the things shoved against the door beginning to be pulled away.

"How does pressure crack?" Mila asked, confusion evident in her voice.

Embry sighed tiredly, apparently used to this sort of thing. It was all Melody could do to not burst into laughter. "It's a saying Mila. It means something like the not being able to handle something once tested."

"That makes no sense. What does cracking pressure have to do with that," she answered, her accent getting thicker. Finally the door cracked open and Melody could breathe again. Embry took one glace at the chocolate covered Annabelle on the floor shoving the last twinky in her mouth as fast as she could, then turned to look at Melody rocking the baby back and forth with wide eyes.

Embry walked over to her with a raised brow. "You did good," he said, taking little Em out of her arms and patting his back. "I'm impressed you didn't shut down. Next time let's try not to have your coping mechanism be feed her crap until she pukes though."

There was not going to _be_ a next time. Melody would be in a grave before that happened.

Annabelle straightened her back once she noticed the look Mila was giving her from the hallway, attempting to lick all the chocolate off her lips.

"You were being bad?" Mila asked the little girl.

Annabelle shook her head no, vehemently denying this.

At least someone could control the brute.

"Aunt Mila I was good."

"Yeah," Embry snorted. "Good enough that you got to eat all the twinky's in the house."

Annabelle nodded excitedly, happy to have something to go on. "I was so good."

"Where the heck is David?" Embry asked suddenly, bringing his nose up to sniff the air.

Collin snorted sarcastically from the hallway, apparently too afraid to show his face to Melody yet. "He ditched us about five minutes after you left."

"David will never watch any children then," Mila said firmly, picking up the sticky girl on the floor. "I will go run Annabelle a bath." Annabelle began to fuss, but one look at Mila's no-nonsense face immediately quieted her.

"No wonder your kids are angels," Melody snorted from the bed. If Mila gave her that look she would behave too. Mila's eyes weren't even dark, they were a light blue. But when Mila set her face like that they looked darker, the crystalized depths more serious.

"I'm sorry about Annabelle," Embry said, running his hand through his son's velvety locks. "Only Lizzy and Mila can really control her. I didn't think she would be that bad. It was nice of you to help them out."

Yeah, well if Melody had known what she was volunteering for she never would have. In fact, she didn't even volunteer. She was dragged here with no explanation.

Now Melody was tired. She just wanted to go home and sleep forever and a day. If she had gotten anything out of this, she had gotten some of the packs approval.

She wasn't really sure if all this was worth it though.

* * *

Just to help make things a little bit clearer in this chaos of a chapter, I wrote down the names of the kids and whose children they are.

Sam &amp; Emily- Jordyn and Samuel

Lizzy &amp; Paul- Annabelle and Lenny

Kim &amp; Jared- Joseph and the twins William and Gareth

Mila &amp; Embry- Akilina, who is Brady's imprint, and Embry Jr.

Ara &amp; Seth- They don't have kids yet, although they did get married recently. So no names to add to this crazy list. : )


	12. Words for Thought

Chapter 12: Words for Thought

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If there was one thing that Melody thought she could do better than anyone else, it was hold a grudge. So four days later Melody was still avoiding Collin. She wouldn't stay the full five days away from him because she still felt bad, but she would stay four damn it. Babysitting the pack kids was almost worse than rehab.

She knew Collin would start to become antsy from his time away from her today, and planned to alleviate it. Melody may not be a very happy imprint when she went to his house, but she would be there.

She fixed her ponytail in the mirror, patting her bangs in place before grabbing her purse and starting the walk to Collin's house. La Push was a small town. Walking from one side to the other took only forty-five minutes. Collin's house was only a ten minute walk away.

When she got up to his room he was laying down on his bed shirtless, tossing a baseball up in the air thoughtfully. He sniffed the air once, jumping up into a sitting position to stare at her.

"Melody!" It was clear from his voice he wasn't expecting her anytime soon, and based on her track record she wasn't surprised. But from now on she would be amending that.

"Collin," she said stiffly, sitting down on his bed and straightening a crease in the comforter.

"I'm really sorry," he burst. "I just couldn't take it! Annabelle was driving me insane, and I figured her parents would come really soon."

They hadn't. Lizzy and Paul were the last to arrive. If Embry and Mila hadn't stayed with them Melody didn't know what they would have done. She stuck to holding Embry Jr since he seemed to at least like her a little. By the end of the day she was even playing with him, his cute little giggles infectious and forcing her to join him. Mila had watched her thoughtfully throughout the experience, but Embry's eyes conveyed he knew much more than Melody was comfortable with. It all hit a peak when Mila started pressing about children.

_"You two will have children soon?" Mila asked as if it were the most normal question in the world. Collin froze, and Melody could only stare with her with her mouth wide open._

_"Sweetheart, even if they were ready for that Collin is too young," Embry said incredulously, staring at his wife. Melody latched onto his words, nodding hard enough to shake the messy bun on the back of her head a few inches lower tugging some of her hair uncomfortably. She left it, too distracted by Mila at this moment to care._

_"He is a man," Mila snorted, looking Collin over. "He can make children."_

_"It's not like before," Embry hurried out. "People usually wait till they're at least twenty to have children. If not twenty, then eighteen."_

_Mila gave Embry a displeased look, her lips making a thin line across her face. None the less, she did not say anything further about it._

Melody still didn't know why Mila thought it would be okay to ask that. Melody wasn't even dating Collin yet, let alone planning children. She knew Mila was from a different time, and that Mila had a bit more of the animal in her than most, but Melody still couldn't understand how anyone from this time at all would ask her something like that, especially considering Collin wasn't even legal.

At least Mila didn't glare at her anymore; _and_ she got to hold Mila's kid, something Melody didn't even think would ever be possible.

"Say something," Collin begged, placing a hesitant hand on her shoulder.

Melody turned sharply to him, wanting to make some nippy comment about him and how he's supposed to be protecting her, not throwing her under the bus so to speak. But when she looked into his eyes she knew if she said anything worse he would agonize over it, beating himself up for weeks.

"It doesn't matter," Melody finally said, the words coming out with great reluctance. She really wanted to be a bitch right now. Growing a conscious is a horrible thing. Now she would be angry at herself all day today, maybe even tomorrow. Melody couldn't even be angry at Collin now, because she was the one who said it was okay.

"It does matter," he whispered. "I can tell it does."

Melody frowned, biting her lip before letting out a big breath. "It's in the past now." Along with her hateful ways towards Collin. If he could forgive her and not even hold a grudge when it came to that, she could let go of this. "But just to let you know I'm never doing that again," she assured him, making it clear.

He nodded quickly, and she could tell it was because he was panicking. He was afraid she would do something drastic, more drastic than what she had already done by avoiding him for four days. She could get him to agree to anything at this moment, she realized with wonder. Anything that was remotely in his power he would give her, and he had given her this control just so that she would accept his apology.

Collin always managed to make her feel horrible.

"It's okay Collin," she murmured softly, running a hand through his hair and losing the hard look on her face. "Don't worry about it. That doesn't matter anymore." Not that she would give it a chance to be a problem again.

After that day she had decided on never having children.

Hers were sure to be evil if they were even remotely like Melody. They would put her in an early grave. She hadn't told Collin about her new plan, because she knew he could only see _her_ in his future. He wanted at least three kids, he told her once. He wanted a big family, with children running around and giggles heard throughout the house.

That was not happening. His dream would turn into a nightmare just like the other day had.

Collin finally relaxed, leaning his face against her hand tiredly. "I didn't think you'd forgive me."

Well, yes. This wasn't normal behavior for her. She didn't even know what was normal for them anymore. Everything was changing, and it was all frightening if she were honest.

"I'm going to the bonfire soon," he said softly. "It's today." He pulled away, staring at her. "You'll come, right?"

Fucking damn it.

"Yeah."

Maybe he could hear the reluctance in her voice despite her agreeing to go, because when he grinned it was almost teasing. Melody huffed, looking anywhere but at him and crossing her arms across her chest while glaring at the wall.

"Let's go then," he said, hurrying over to his dresser to put a shirt on. He paused, staring at a picture he had taken of her a year back. She was giggling in it and he had snapped it in a hurry, surprising her. He ran a hand over the frame and sighed softly, before taking her hand and pulling her outside.

"It's getting colder out," she whispered, shoving her hands in her pocket. He cocked a brow at her in question.

"Is it?"

She nodded. Collin normally didn't notice things like that. She knew most the pack tried to force their imprints and children to dress warmer than it actually was. It was out of paranoia really, since they couldn't tell. She was glad Collin had never done that, and wasn't really sure how she would react if he started to. He did check to make sure she was warm enough though, and not overheating during the summer months.

Most of the pack was there by the time Collin and Melody arrived. Annabelle and Lenny were screaming at each other like usual. All the pack were used to it, so they ignored them as if it weren't even happening.

"I never did say thank you for watching the kids," Emily said, with little Samuel propped up on her hip. He appeared distracted, watching as his older sister Jordyn smothered baby Will with kisses.

"Uh," Melody trailed off, taken aback. She stared at the woman, blinking her eyes as if she didn't think it were real. Emily had never come up to her like this, and it had made her unsure of her role. After a nudge from Collin she gathered herself. "No problem," she got out, staring at Emily.

Emily smiled, her lips pulling at the puckered scars on the right of her face. It had been years since the accident, so most of the pink had faded into a more natural tone. But nothing could disguise those scars. No amount of time or makeup could hide them. They didn't seem to bother Emily anyways.

Melody scanned the pack, noticing the last of them had arrived while she was distracted. "Hey, where is Akilina?" Melody couldn't help but notice the little girl was missing. Akilina, as Melody had found out, was one of the most well behaved children Melody had ever seen. Melody couldn't help but enjoy Akilina.

Emily gave her a smile, one with a hidden message she couldn't discern. "Akilina's here."

Melody frowned, surveying the beach once more. Even then she still couldn't find her.

"Akilina is different, like her mother," Emily commented, taking a few steps closer to Melody and turning around to stare out into the crowd with her. "Well, like her mother used to be," Emily amended.

Akilina didn't seem to be like her mother at all. She had more of Embry than Mila in her physically. Her younger brother did inherit a very light brown color for his hair, one not natural to the Quileute's. The only thing that Melody could say was similar between Mila and Akilina was the way the two looked at things. Both eyes appeared brooding, and detail oriented. They were both on the quiet side too, now that Melody thought about it.

"Akilina turns into a wolf, the same type of wolf her mother was. Lina usually has good control over it, but she's only two."

Melody stared at Emily, shock written all across her features. She couldn't believe that Akilina was a wolf. The little girl wasn't filled with anger like the pack was when they first phased, but maybe that was because the pack was a different kind of wolf than Akilina.

"Mila named her Akilina, after her little sister that died when Mila was young. Mila's sister was a wolf too, but had difficulties with control. Shifting into a wolf for her family isn't based on hormones or adolescence. It just happens. Lina's first phase was at one and a half, and Embry almost lost it. He was afraid she would be stuck as the wolf, much like Mila and Lina's aunt were. But when they woke up the next day a little girl lay sleeping in her bed. Mila isn't worried about Akilina changing into a wolf and never turning back. She's very confident in her little girl's abilities. But Embry, he worries."

Melody finally spied Akilina, a tiny little wolf snugged up in her father's arms. He was speaking to Seth, absentmindedly rocking her to sleep.

"Her coloring is much like her mother's was," Emily added, staring at the girl.

"Will she change back soon?" Melody asked, worrying her bottom lip nervously.

Emily smiled softly, nodding to Melody. "I'm sure of it. She shifted around noon today. Mila almost got her to change back, but Lina couldn't quite master it. She'll be back by tomorrow though." Emily was confident in her words, nodding with sureness.

Melody had never known all of this. She knew that Mila used to be a wolf, but not how hard it was to stay human for Mila. Melody didn't know anything about Akilina being one either.

"From what I hear things have started to change between you and Collin," Emily said lightly, changing the conversation once Collin had skipped off near Brady. Samuel was beginning to squirm in her arms, unhappy with the lack of action happening. She adjusted him carefully, only to have him make his body go limp in an attempt to slide out of her arms. Emily sighed tiredly, giving up and placing him on the sandy ground where he bolted as soon as his feet touched the floor.

Melody could feel her skin burning at the question. "I guess," she murmured, unwilling to make eye contact.

"It's a good thing. You don't have to be afraid of it."

Emily's admittance startled Melody, and she turned back to look at Emily. She was frowning, staring at her husband Sam in the crowd as he spoke animatedly with Paul and Jared, a beer held casually in his hands.

"I used to be afraid of Sam, of what being with him meant. Do you know Leah?"

Melody knew a bit about the woman. She knew she was a wolf just like Seth, and that her and her brother phasing simultaneously in front of their father had resulted in a heart attack that led him to an early grave. Melody also knew that Leah had left for college two years back, and came back to visit from time to time.

"Before Sam was with me he dated Leah, my cousin. We used to be really close, but Sam imprinting on me changed things a bit," she sighed, her eyes drifting to the sand. "We used to be like sisters, and told each other everything. I moved here just to be closer to her, but then Sam imprinted on me and I sort of lost direction." Emily frowned, the motion pulling at the right side of her face where her scar sat.

"I couldn't accept it at first," Emily admitted. "I knew how much Leah loved him. I was there when they first started dating and she would giggle about the cute guy she had just met. I was the first person she told when she figured out she loved him, and there when she told me that he loved her back. I was also there for her tears when he broke up with her seemingly out of nowhere," she said in a hushed voice. "Leah thought they would marry, get that small house with a picket fence and two children to fill it. I dashed that dream for her, and will always feel sorry about it."

"But I don't regret it," she said strongly. "I can't. I love Sam so much, I love my children too. They're such little blessings. I can't help but miss Leah, and I know no matter how much time passes we'll never be the same. I figure this scar is a sort of penance for what I've done. I wouldn't date Sam at first no matter how much he begged. In my heart I wanted to, but I couldn't betray Leah like that. One day he wouldn't take no for an answer, I suppose he got frustrated. He didn't know what imprinting was then, he was alone with no one to talk to him. In a burst of anger he phased, accidentally slicing me with his claws. Even with that I was never afraid of him. It didn't make sense, and shortly after I gave into my feelings."

It seemed like Melody was in the dark about a lot of things in the pack. She couldn't blame Collin about not knowing any of this. Melody had never shown an interest in the pack before, and she had steadily avoided them.

"You're a strong woman," Melody finally said, bringing her gaze up to Emily's.

Emily smirked, holding down her laughter. "You have to be in order to be an imprint. You didn't know that yet?" She walked away, leaving Melody behind in her own thoughts.

Melody had always thought she was the only one who had tried to fight the pull. She thought all of the imprints had been happy to be imprinted on, selfless and willing to give their lives to their mates without a second thought.

It seemed like Melody was wrong quite often lately.

* * *

Ugh, this scene made me want to do an Emily/Sam story. I'll have to see if I feel the same way after finishing this book.

Guest Comments:

Ellen- Thank you!


	13. Blurred Lines

Chapter 13: Blurred Lines

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It seemed because she had helped babysit the kids it had done numbers on how they viewed her. That, along with the knowing looks they kept sending her. It appeared that Collin didn't know how to keep his mouth shut.

It wasn't like Collin could really help it. Their pack mind shared everything when phased. She had accepted that a while back, and it didn't really bother her except for the fact that she knew that the pack knew every secret she had ever told Collin. A pack was complicated, Melody had learned, but even if the pack members don't like her they never told her secrets. They had never even mentioned them to her in passing. She supposed it was out of politeness, to act like they didn't really know and give her that privacy.

They all sat around the bonfire, children asleep in their parent's arms. All except Jordyn of course, who seemed to love the tales more than anyone else. Her little fist would squeeze at the exciting parts, her eyes staring unblinking at Paul entranced by the story.

Last year Billy officially gave up his spot as the pack orator and handed it down to Paul. Paul was overjoyed, and had taken on the task with vigor. It seemed like everyone knew that Billy was going to hand that to him except Paul.

Paul animatedly depicted the fight between the warriors of the old and the Cold One's, his arms raising in arcs and brought down with suspense. Melody could hear Jordyn gasp as she did every time when hearing this story. It never grew old for her.

For the first time in a long while the pack were actually friendly with Melody. It seemed like all one had to do to get off the bad side of the pack is babysit their kids.

Not that Melody would be volunteering for that anytime soon, and nothing in this world could get her to watch Annabelle again. It's not surprising that Lizzy and Paul arrived last with that creature for a daughter.

Paul was attempting to not shift anymore, but it wasn't going very well. It wasn't that he couldn't control his temper, he just couldn't control himself when he smelled a vampire. Melody figured once Paul got control Lizzy and Paul would need babysitters a lot less. Paul didn't run laps much anyways. Paul worked full time while Lizzy stayed home with the kids. Lizzy needed respite from the kids every now and then, and once he stopped phasing he could do it instead of roping pack members into doing it. Melody had found out a common losing bet would be babysitting Annabelle, and nothing in this world could get her to bet to those types of stakes.

Collin was distractedly rubbing her arm, immersed in the story being told. He must have heard this a hundred times but still liked it. All the pack would perk up once they got to the present day, when Paul would tell the story of how the pack battled a newborn army and defeated them with no losses. It was like watching a football game to them, they acted the same way.

A wind began to blow and she shivered. Collin pulled her tighter to him, and for a moment she tensed before forcing herself to relax. Collin was only trying to keep her warm, she reasoned. He had no clue about the battle raging in her head.

Well maybe he had an idea.

Since their agreement all those nights ago their relationship hadn't changed much, but the knowledge in Collin's eyes had. He seemed empowered with it, and watched her more often with that wistful gaze she had familiarized herself with three years back.

She was more afraid than she could believe.

She acted like a blushing virgin around him, and she was the farthest thing from it. In fact, Collin should be the one acting like one but he was taking everything in stride. She could tell he was bidding his time, waiting for when Melody waivered or her body language began asking for more.

Melody had to be very careful. She couldn't afford anymore slip ups.

He would touch her like before, but now he would actively watch her reaction. It wasn't fair to Melody at all, and doing it back to him would only encourage him. She was stuck between a rock and a hard place, and it was all because of her hormones.

Collin was hard and warm behind her. Through her thin jacket she could feel every curve and plane his body had. He was way too much in shape. It wasn't fair to her at all. Melody should be thankful for the fact she lasted as long as she did. Leaning against him right now she didn't have a clue how she never noticed before. She could feel every line in his chest, the small bumps leading down lower, how his biceps protruded as they wrapped around her.

She could even feel the slight bulge from below, but she ignored that.

Melody bit her lip, zoning out from the story and staring at the ground. She must not think bad thoughts. She must not think bad thoughts. She must not think….

A snort forced her to blink, and she pulled her head up to meet the gaze of Emily. She had a knowing look in her eyes, and a smirk on her face even as she rocked Samuel in her arms.

Melody broke eye contact, feeling her face burn as she stared into the forest. They were all watching her now, waiting for any signs of her cracking. She could almost swear they had placed bets on how long she would last. _She_ wasn't even sure how long she would last.

Collin reached down, lightly encasing her rib cage and pulling her closer. Her eyes widened in surprise, before glancing up at him. He was paying her no mind, still entranced by the tale Paul was telling. But still she was suspicious. Collin was touchy, but never this touchy. He was probably using some sixth sense on her, despite the fact she could feel how relaxed he was against her.

She sighed loudly in frustration, bringing most of the pack's gaze on her. She quickly fixed the scowl on her face, attempting to ignore the skin that seemed to burn with Collin's touch. It was hypersensitive, aware of every small movement Collin made there. Every now and then he would bring his hand higher in a light stroke, almost brushing underneath her lower breasts, but then he would drop his hand to its previous position and she would spend the rest of the time waiting with strung nerves until the next time he decided to make that venture.

Get a hold of yourself, she screamed in her head, it's just a hand. She hand been touched there a thousand times, in worse spots than her rib cage. The only time a hand on her remotely felt anything like this was her first time, or should she say her second? She couldn't remember her first, she was drunk out of her mind. But the second she could recall in vivid detail, and it was with the same guy too. She remembered the butterflies, how afraid she was that she would do something horrible or he would find her ugly without clothes. She was so nervous she felt sick to her stomach, but then he touched her and she almost forgot all of that. She became lost in the feeling, and the way his hand caressed her breast and thighs and everything in between. How it felt when he finally entered her, the moans that came out uncontrollably. When they finished he held her tightly to him and nodded off for a short time before telling her he had to get home before his mom started to freak out.

After that night she thought she was in love with him, but a few months after he had broken up with her Melody realized she was only in love with the way he had made her feel. It could have been anyone, but since it was him and he was older and beautiful and popular and had a car she believed it was love.

She didn't think she'd ever feel like that again. She thought it was just first time jitters or something. Even when Collin imprinted on her she never thought she'd feel like that. Even when her feeling began to change she didn't think it would be like this.

Suddenly she felt his chest come closer to her back, and his lips brushing past her ear grazing the sensitive skin near her lobe making her shiver. "Are you ready to go?"

She blinked, glancing around her. Everyone was packing up, a few of them had already vanished into their cars. She could see the headlights from where she was at, disappearing into the darkness as they drove further away.

"Yeah." Melody couldn't remember a time where the time hadn't dragged by for a pack meet. Usually she whined and moaned to Collin and he would ignore her. On worse nights he would finally give in and he'd walk her home while grumbling under his breath.

But tonight none of that had happened. The night had almost been… pleasant.

Collin pulled her up from the ground, saying some goodbyes before pulling her towards home.

"Tonight went pretty well," he said suddenly. If that wasn't an understatement.

She made a noise of agreement in the back of her throat.

"You've been smoking less."

She went to give him an odd look, but then really thought about it. Usually she smoked about a pack a week, but her last pack had almost lasted her two weeks. "I am," she said, her voice filled with surprise and wonder. She had no clue why that was. Maybe it was because she had been feeling less stressed lately. The only thing she had been really freaking out about was Collin and their relationship, although after watching Anabelle she had smoked about three cigarettes when she got home. She skipped ahead of him, a laugh on the tip of her tongue. "You should come to the club with me next time you go."

He shook his head vehemently. "I don't like clubs." He always said that but never really gave her a reason why. Collin chuckled, running a hand through her hair softly, his fingers brushing against her scalp in a light caress when they got to her house. "I'll see you tomorrow."

He shoved his hands in his jeans as he went, his back slowly disappearing in the darkness.

"Collin," she called out. "I know what you're trying to do. I'm not going to break."

He paused, the planes of his back standing out in the darkness. They flexed before he turned around, marching over to her with a determination she seldom saw from him. It took her aback, and she stumbled away with rounded eyes until her back hit the porch rail. He stepped close to her, so close that she could feel his breath on her face. He didn't stop until they were chest to chest, hip to hip.

"Is that a promise?" he whispered against her face.

She took a shaky breath in. "Yes."

One side of his mouth curled into a grin, his eyes black orbs in the darkness. He brought his face towards her, so close that she could hear every gust of air he breathed in with his nose. This close she could see the light freckles on his skin that one could only see practically with a microscope.

"I look forward to it." His words were spoken as a caress, like one would to their lover. They washed over her in tantalizing waves, pausing the breath in her throat.

And then, he was gone. The cold air much more obvious than ever before.

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If anyone is willing to beta stories that I write, or know someone willing, could they message me? I've been searching for a beta forever but it never works out. my first beta left the site and the two I got after didn't work out. I've been editing these stories by myself, but I would really like someone else's input. I also put a poll up on my profile asking what kind of book they would prefer me to write next. I know I'm going to write an HP one, but I plan on doing another Twilight at the same time too.


	14. The Perfection of Art

Chapter 14: The Perfection of Art

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Brady POV

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Brady laughed softly under his breath, too low for any human to hear. Collin was playing Melody like a well-tuned fiddle, and it was about time too. The girl was so wide eyed that she didn't seem to know what to do with herself.

See, Collin had many brothers, and all of his brothers had a lot of experience with women. They would whisper in his ears, and Collin would follow. Once during the bonfire Embry had even murmured under his breath to brush against Melody, which Collin did immediately. A smug smile grew upon Collin's face when her heart began to pound against her chest and her breath became uneven, but he quickly schooled his features to one of concentration, as if he were holding onto every word Paul spoke. Paul was barely listening to himself speak, let alone the pack brothers. All of them were too busy watching the performance Melody and Collin were putting on.

A soft sigh disturbed Brady, and he looked down with adoration at the small girl sleeping in his arms. He never thought he'd be so happy to have such a young imprint. He had thought about imprinting before, and even sort of wished for it. Then Akilina was born, and he knew as soon as he laid eyes on her that his world was finally complete. Lina was the piece Brady didn't even know he was missing.

He smiled, kissing her forehead before turning back to watch his best friend seduce the woman Collin had been in love with for years. Perhaps now he could see how the two could work. Melody's edges seemed to have softened lately, her eye more thoughtful instead of guarded. Brady had been angry with Melody for so long that he had forgotten what it was to look at her without that negative light. Had he ever looked at her in a good way?

He didn't think so, because everything after his best friends imprint had been hectic. Melody would ignore Collin, and then when she couldn't do that anymore Collin got the harshest friend-zone ever known to man. She had slept with men that were not Collin, flirted and became drunk. She smoked, and blocked Collin out when things were not going the way she wanted. It was very rare when Brady had seen her do anything good. Paul used to try to comfort the pack when we all worried about Collin when there was nothing we could do for him, saying there had to be something good in her. After more than a year of it even Embry was having trouble believe that.

But now something had changed. He liked to believe it was the pack children. Melody had always avoided them, and they her for the most part. But after watching them he saw she wasn't so cold towards them, her smiles radiating warmth. Brady didn't think that was possible. She had only shown that warm smile to two people as far as he knew: Collin and Melody's best friend. Even Melody's own mother warranted a cold grin. Usually her smile was tense, never reaching her eyes. Most of the time she didn't smile at all.

But she did now.

The first thing Brady noticed was the smile on her face as she walked down the beach. It was for the children, and Melody really didn't go too far out of her way to greet them, but when a few of them had approached she seemed almost like a different person. She ran a hand though their hair, going along with the odd things the pack kids were prone to saying.

There were two sides of Melody Tasher, something he hadn't known until this night.

Maybe Collin was right all these years and everything would work out for the best just like Collin said. He hoped so.

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Melody POV

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There was one journal Melody was forbidden to touch. Collin had always been frantic guarding it, as if the world would end if Melody saw even one glimpse of the inside. It was an ordinary sketchbook, the front having a random painting of some fruit on it with cardboard covering the back. She knew Collin loved art, a few years back he had even painted a canoe for Ara in traditional Quileute colors and patterns for Ara's trip to A-Ka-Lat. It was beautiful, and right now it was shoved in his shed gathering dust.

He had brought paintings home too, although he never purposely showed her. Melody only saw it in passing, when Collin had left it out on his dresser or someplace like that. Whenever she noticed she would point to it, complimenting him. Collin would give her a shy grin, before tucking it somewhere prying eyes could not see.

But today his notebook was unguarded, left out in the open for anyone to look at.

She couldn't help herself. She had wondered for years what sat in it. She listened carefully for any noise in the house, before sitting down at the desk and rubbing a hand over the cover. With guarded breath she opened it, unsure of what she would find. She stared at it, before flipping to another page. A quick perusal showed her that more than half the pictures in the book were of her. Here she was, asleep on the couch at her mother's house. Melody's lips were slightly open, with a peaceful look on her face. There was another of her laughing, her eyes glowing like two stars in the sky. Another she found was of her back to him, her hair in a high ponytail and wearing her bright pink running clothes. That running fad of hers lasted all of a week. Exercise had never been her friend.

But what was most startling was the _way_ he drew her. Melody knew she was beautiful, no one had to tell her that, but Collin drew her as some _goddess_. The pictures were her, but not her. No matter if paint, charcoal, or pencil was used, she still looked stunning.

"No wonder Collin thinks he's in love with me," she whispered in awe. There was just something about the way he drew her, about the way Melody looked in his eyes, that was so beautiful. It was a liveliness that she didn't see in herself, that no one saw but him she might venture. It was so many things and the only way she could describe it is looking at these pictures one could tell that Collin was in love with her. She didn't look like this in real life, but she couldn't point out what was fake about it either.

A door slammed open and she jumped, shoving the notebook closed in panic and pushing herself away from the desk. She hurried to place the chair back where it was, adjusting the notebook the way he had left it. She cursed under her breath, before flopping onto the bed face down and waiting for him. She could hear heavy footsteps going up the stairs, and then Collin's door opened. Everything was quiet for a moment, and then he took a step into his room, closing the door.

"You got here a bit early," he mentioned, walking towards the window.

She still hadn't looked at him, too flushed from almost getting caught. She made a noise in her throat to show that she heard him, her face still pressed into his sheets.

He stopped walking, and she glanced at him from her peripherals to see him appearing almost frozen, staring towards the door.

"You touched my art book," he said softly. His voice reminded her of childish innocence, when a child realized for the first time that promises could be broken. Melody flipped around, watching him nervously as she propped herself up with her arms.

"How did you know?"

He walked over to the desk, grabbing the book and going to his closet to shove it somewhere in there. "I left it crooked, you put it back straight."

She sighed, staring at him. "I always wondered what was in it."

"You could have asked."

She gave him a sharp look. "You would have never allowed me to see."

He said nothing, but a smile tugged on his lips.

"Besides, why do you hide your artwork? It's beautiful."

"Because I'm not happy with them."

They looked perfect to her.

"Can you draw a picture for me? Or even a painting? I want to frame one in my house."

He shook his head vehemently. "I don't like displaying my artwork."

"But there's a picture down stairs," she said, her voice trailing off. The portrait had been hanging up since the first time she visited. Sometimes the picture changed, but there was always one displayed.

"My mom made me," he mumbled unhappily, lying down beside her. He sprawled his arms open and one went above her head.

"Then I'm making you do one now. Collin, make me a painting," Melody commanded, turning towards him.

He gave her a mischievous grin. "Nope."

She groaned loudly, throwing herself back onto the bed. "Why won't you show anyone your artwork?"

"Because it never seems done. It always looked like it could use something more or less. I want my artwork to be perfect when I show it."

She let out a giggle. "That sounds pretty close to an obsession. Besides, there's no such thing as perfect."

"In my world there is," he said surely, giving her a look that made her cheeks flush and notice how little space there really was between them. A scant few inches.

Melody shut her mouth, her face still burning as she turned to stare at the ceiling. "Well if you ever think you've made the perfect picture, give it to me."

He remained quiet, but his hand reached down. Ghosting over her arm and leaving goose bumps in its path until it reached its destination. He squeezed her hand lightly, and when she glanced at him a smile flickered onto his face.

"I will."

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Thank you everyone for reading and reviewing! I love reading everyone's responses.


	15. The Party

Chapter 15: The Party

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Being in a pack was more complicated than Melody ever thought.

Before she barely took part, and only went to bonfires when Collin forced her. But now she found herself wanting to go to more gatherings. She loved little Embry. He was a sweet baby, and didn't cry unless he needed something. His sister Akilina was wonderful too. Sam's daughter, Jordyn was a good girl. She tended to be a bit bossy, although it might just be because she was the oldest of the pack children. Her brother Samuel always tried to emulate her. He was Jordyn's biggest fan.

Melody still hated that little monster Anabelle though.

How someone with such a sweet name could be such a curse? She had no idea. It was a good thing the pack couldn't read her mind, because she had called Anabelle some horrible things in there.

A few were a little standoffish to her, but no one was really rude anymore. Sure, Paul avoided her, and Kim and Jared didn't look like they knew what to think of her anymore. But as Melody had found out Emily was a sweet person, she had even gone to visit Emily once. She hadn't even brought Collin with her. Melody could relate to Emily, as the only two pack girls who really fought the imprint. Sure, Emily only fought it for a few months, but it was the principle of things!

Last time she had gone over to Emily's, Emily had told her about a pack birthday coming up. The twins were turning two this year, and the party was being held at Emily's like usual. Melody had worried about going at first, because she had been leaving out Sarah so much lately. But as it turned out Sarah was going on a date that day anyways. All Melody had to do was put her two cents in on how Sarah looked and they would go their separate ways.

So here Melody was, two presents shoved under her arms as she walked over to Emily's house. She really wasn't sure what to buy, she didn't have a clue what two year old boys would like. She had picked up some random toddler toys and hoped for the best.

She knocked on the door, the noise coming from inside daunting to say the least. Emily opened the door, her face flushed. "You don't have to knock! Come on in."

Melody smiled and nodded, but she still wasn't comfortable enough to just go inside someone's house like that. Hell, she had been best friends with Sarah since they were five, and had been living with her going on a year and still knocked on Sarah's door before entering.

"Here, just place those over there." Emily motioned towards the pile of presents and Melody stared at them with awe. It seemed being a pack kid did have its benefits. She had never seen so many presents in her life. They were all placed neatly in a corner, one on top of another. It was about half the size of her, coming up to her waist.

She noticed Anabelle sitting in a corner with a pout, her arms crossed against her chest. Emily noticed her stare.

"She's in time out for hitting Lenny," was her explanation. That still didn't explain how anyone could get Annabelle to sit like that. Melody could only get her to stop with twinkies, and that was after teasing the little girl with them. There was no doubt that if Embry and Mila hadn't shown up shortly after that Annabelle would have started her tantrums again.

She really did hate that little girl. Melody would shave her head and join a nunnery before watching that child again.

Melody nodded as if what Emily said made sense, making a note to avoid the living room. Anabelle was sure to be in there, and Melody wanted to stay clear of the little girl at all cost.

"We'll probably start eating in a few minutes, and cut the cake in about a half hour. Here, you can do this." Emily handed her a bunch of plastic plates, forks, and cups in a hurry, running off to open the oven that had started beeping.

Melody stared down at the items in her hands in incomprehension. She realized she had never been given such a task in her life. She stared at Emily unsure, but Emily was too distracted in the kitchen, racing back and forth to get the food ready. Melody brought her gaze back to her arms and decided the best plan of action would be to open them and leave them on the table.

A small hand tugging at her loose skirt made her jump. Akilina stared up at her with large brown eyes, before struggling to pull the chair out next to Melody. It skipped across the floor, making Melody wince, but finally Akilina was successful.

"We get cake," Akilina informed her. Melody let out a breathy laugh.

"We do," she agreed.

"It chowit an' banilla," Akilina added. "We like both, so Aunt Kim get both."

"I'm a chocolate girl myself." Melody ripped more of the plastic off the cups, and Akilina reached towards them with open hands.

"I like chowit," Akilina said, arranging the cups in different patterns, a look of concentration on her face.

They stayed like that, arranging the plates and cups until Emily called out that the food was ready. Sam ate a more normal amount now that he had stopped phasing, and Paul was starting to eat less too, but they still ate a lot more than the average Joe. It was just more manageable now.

The rest of the pack were a different story though. Melody would bet if they could they would eat all day. She'd seen how much Collin could eat first hand. He munched throughout the whole day and ate huge portions of food for every meal. As it was now, there were more hamburgers and hotdogs stacked up than she cared to count. At pack meets they always ate hamburgers, hotdogs, or pizza. It seemed like the only thing the pack girls could manage. Melody only cooked for one wolf and that was already overwhelming, let alone seven full grown wolves and two retired ones.

David and Tyler were the newest to the pack. The pack hadn't had a new wolf for almost as long as Melody had been around. Both of them phased at the last battle, and really only David was around much. Tyler went to a community college in Seattle, and before that he spent most of his time studying, so usually he only showed up for pack gatherings. David was the type to barricade himself in his room and play videogames unless someone forced him out. His parents were the only ones that showed relief when they found out by accident. They had hoped it would help give David a direction. It was true David could handle more responsibility now, but videogames would always reign as the number one priority in his life as far as Melody was concerned.

"Da gawls are first," said Akilina, getting up with a plate in hand. Melody noticed Claire in line, giggling with Jordyn. Claire gave Melody a big smile, waving at her. Melody returned it with one of her own.

Tyler was behind her, she gave him a once over before nodding. "Have you been well?" she asked politely.

Tyler nodded, appearing at ease as he watched his pack brothers. "Yes," he answered simply.

"What do you go to school for?" She had never asked, and figured now was a better time than ever.

"I'm going for an MSN degree to become a nurse practitioner. I'm hoping to make a small practice in La Push when I graduate. I won't be able to write that many prescriptions, and will have to get connected to some doctors. But at least La Push would be going in the right direction for one day getting their own hospital. Maybe even a doctor will join me eventually."

Melody had no clue what an MSN degree was, but from what Tyler had said she figured it had to be something in the medical community. Or nursing.

"So you won't be a doctor?"

He shook his head. "I can write some prescriptions, evaluate patients, and manage any problems they might have, but no I'm not quite a doctor. That would take a few more years and internships to be."

Melody was never happier than she was right then for not going to college. That sounded like way too much for her. If something didn't interest her she could never make herself study, which is why she had almost failed high school. She did make it though, and she was more than happy with her high school diploma.

A hand wrapped around her from behind before releasing, his hand caressing her stomach as he pulled away.

"Collin," Melody smiled, tilting her head back to see him. He rubbed her shoulders, reaching over for a plate.

"I couldn't get away, my mom kept asking questions about school," he muttered, grabbing a piece of bread and shoving it quickly in his mouth.

Collin was in his senior year, something that made Melody feel at least a little bit better about everything. Lately he had been getting stressed out about senior dues, deadlines, final projects, etc. It wasn't even that far into the school year though, he had a lot of time before he finished.

When they got their food Akilina decided to stay sitting next to her, and Lenny rushed to the seat next to Akilina. It seemed the two were close friends, and visited each other often with both of their moms deciding to stay home in order to take care of them.

Soon after the food it was time to cut the cake. The boys didn't quite seem to know what to do with it, and at first shoved their hands in the frosting covered treat experimentally. Gareth was the first to try it, and when Will saw that Gareth liked it the little boy tried it for himself.

Melody could only tell the twins apart because of how different their personalities were. Gareth was more independent and willing to try new things, whereas Will didn't want to be even a foot away from his mother. He was always glancing over to make sure she was still there, and if not the waterworks would come.

Presents was more of an ordeal than anything. Will refused to open anything and cried when anyone put a present in front of him. Gareth attempted to open one after Jared showed him how, but after that they just let the pack kids open them.

"Why does she write on the toys?" Melody asked curiously. She noticed she was one of the few who had gotten the twins an identical present and Kim had immediately marked them.

"They fight over it otherwise," Collin murmured. "Kim gives a star for Will and a circle for Gareth."

She hadn't thought of that either. There was a lot of things Melody didn't know about kids apparently. She watched as Kim put a mark on each of her toys before handing it to the boys. Will seemed to think about touching it for a moment, but then he shoved it off the table, the toy making a large cracking noise as it hit the ground. Gareth didn't even take the time to push it off, ignoring it entirely.

It seemed she had a lot to learn when it came to kids.

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This was almost a filler chapter. I only put it in to show Melody was becoming closer to the pack. It served a purpose, just when reading it the chapter doesn't seem to.


	16. Opposite Point of Views

Chapter 16: Opposite Point of Views

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Emily POV

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Emily Uley watched as her husband rocked their youngest Samuel to sleep. The little boy had gotten a cold and was in a bad mood because of it. Of course he wouldn't have gotten sick if Sammy had only listened to his mother. She was always telling him to put a jacket on, but he never listened. Most of the time it seemed he only paid attention to his older sister Jordyn. He loved his sister, emulating everything she did. Good or bad. Right now he was in the habit of climbing trees, which worried Emily to no end. But Jordyn was always climbing something, so her brother had to do it too.

"These children will be the death of us," Emily sighed, once her husband had gotten little Samuel to sleep and closed the door, tip toeing from one room to the next.

Her husband only smiled, reaching down to place a sweet kiss on her lips and rubbing her back.

Emily's mind went to Melody, but unlike usual Emily wasn't wondering what the next thing Melody would do to Collin to hurt him.

She'd found out Melody wasn't too bad after all.

It was surprising at first. Emily had grown up being taught what to avoid and what not to. She definitely did not avidly search out people who take drugs, or used to. Emily didn't know anyone that liked to party like Melody. Not even any of the guys from the pack liked to do that. Sometimes a few of them would go to bars, but Emily thought it was more out of guy time than anything. The pack couldn't really get drunk, it ran through their system too quickly. Every now and then one of them could manage a buzz though.

Before Emily tried not to think too much about Melody, and avoided her out of fear of what Melody could do. Maybe her kids would think it's okay to smoke and drink by hanging out with her, or maybe Melody might mention something that her kids had no business knowing. The thought had frightened her, so Emily kept away from the troubled imprint.

After talking to Melody for a bit, and watching her carefully, Emily thought she had at least figured out some of the things Melody did. Emily realized that Melody was more similar to herself than Emily had initially realized. Melody didn't avoid the imprint for some selfish notion like Emily had always thought, Melody was doing it because she thought it was the best thing to do.

She wanted it, Emily could tell, but she was holding back.

It puzzled Emily at first. Why would Melody hold back? Melody was Collin's imprint, his soulmate, and she would never be happier with anyone else. But then Emily overheard Collin complain to Brady about how Melody _did_ feel something for him, she just felt it wasn't right for some reason.

Emily had almost believed before that Melody had no morals.

It was a revelation, a big piece to the big picture. Emily still couldn't understand Melody completely, but Emily was beginning to.

"What do you think about Melody?" Emily suddenly asked her husband, twisting to look at him.

He scowled immediately, his brows drawing down into slants. "I think she's beginning to turn around now, but is still misguided." Emily stared at him, and Sam sighed before adding, "She's still hurting him, even if she thinks it is with good intentions. Collin has been waiting for this for three years Emily, and now that her feelings have changed she still won't bend?" He gave an unhappy grunt, pulling her to him and snuggling against her.

"She thinks it's the right thing though."

"Yeah, but it's not."

Emily knew Sam's protective instincts towards the pack ran deep, and Collin would always place before Melody especially after all the things that had happened. A lot of the pack were like that, distrustful of anyone that hurt their members. Even the retired wolves couldn't shake it, and none of them seemed to even have an idea that they had a bias.

"She's trying," Emily murmured.

"Not very hard."

"She's not ready yet."

"She's had three years to be ready!" Sam said incredulous. "How is she not?"

Emily didn't know how to answer, and she didn't enjoy arguing with her husband. They rarely did, so she became quiet. It was safe to say Emily was the more passive one out of the two. Usually that was the way it was with the imprints though, although some would argue much longer than she would. Those one's always seemed to be paired with the more mild wolves though.

"She feels the same way about him now, at least similar. She should just let herself love him like she was meant to."

Something about those words didn't sit well with Emily, so she continued to stay silent. She wasn't going to argue with Sam about this, but she also wasn't about to accept it either.

"Emily, it doesn't matter," Sam whispered, sensing how his imprint felt. "We're happy, they seem to be starting to work things out too. Things are fine."

She could tell Sam had lied to her, he didn't believe those words. But he also didn't want his imprint going to bed upset. "Okay," she breathed out, clutching the hand around her waist tightly. "Leah is coming soon. Sue said she has school vacation or something like that." She only knew because she had been at the Clearwater residence when Leah had called.

She felt Sam tense for a moment, before going still. "How is she?"

"I hear she's doing well." Leah was trying to move on in the only way she knew how. Leah was hurt, and Emily felt sorry every time she looked into those angry eyes. Emily had done that, it was something she would have to bear for the rest of her life. She could only hope that Leah found someone wonderful to be with, and that he made Leah feel like Sam had made her feel.

"That's good," Sam said.

It was, but Emily wasn't sure what she could come across when she finally met her cousin again.

* * *

I'm almost done writing this story! I'm on chapter 26 but it's taking me a while because it's a bit intricate/complicated. I'm taking it slow because I want to convey things correctly. Thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing!

Guest Comments:

Shannon: Thank you! I always hope I'm doing a good job but I never know unless someone tells me.


	17. The Face of a Man

Chapter 17: The Face of a Man

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Melody watched as the liquid swirled in the cup, the straw going faster then slower. Once the hot beverage almost sloshed out of the cup, but luckily it was only a close call. Sarah was next to her, listening to the news as she sipped her hot chocolate.

"It's going to be warm out," Sarah said suddenly, breaking the silence.

Melody agreed, going back to her stirring. It had been a while since they had hung out together. Melody had never expected them to be able to function like that, they had always been attached to the hip. When they were seven they vowed to always be best friends, and sealed it by becoming blood sisters. They pricked their hands on a needle and smeared their fingers together. They honestly thought that would make them sisters, but when they told Sarah's mom about what they had done her mother only gave them a look of disgust before telling them to go wash their hands.

It had dashed their hopes, nonetheless they still made it their number one prerogative to stick together.

They always joked that they would be the two little old ladies on the Res one day, still living together until the day they died. It was too bad that they both didn't like cats, because then they could add crazy cat ladies to the list. As it was they were still working on the animal thing, neither of them had any unless you count the goldfish Sarah kept in her room.

They never thought that they could be boy crazy enough to leave each other, but here they were. Melody finally was beginning to have feelings for Collin, and it looked like Sarah was getting pretty serious with her boyfriend too. Sarah had mentioned having kids with him, not seriously as if it were already planned out, but the thinking of the future kind of children with the guy actually in it. Sarah had never done that before, and it had shocked Melody for her to even say that.

"Melody," Sarah said suddenly. "I think I love him." There was no question who the '_him'_ was. Both of them already knew.

Melody brought her hot chocolate to her lips, blowing away some of the steam. "It's only been a month."

"But I feel like I do," she whined. "It's different with him. Luke is sweet, and he's not an asshole like most they guys I date."

"Maybe you just feel like this because it's the first guy you've dated that hasn't tried to use you or be a douche bag."

"Maybe," Sarah hedged, appearing unsure.

They stared at the TV together, both of them shoved on the love seat only a few inches from each other. Sarah had her legs folded under her, and Melody kept one foot on the couch with her knee in the air, leaning over the arm where her drink was kept.

"He's mentioned kids Melody. He's serious. He told me he's ready to start a family, and wants to date seriously."

Melody's eyebrows rose, and she turned to her friend. A frown was on Sarah's face, but what was most prominent was the confusion.

"He's twenty-seven, a lot older then the guys I normally date. Maybe that's good. Maybe he's what I need."

There was a five year gap between them, which didn't seem too bad. Her thoughts went to Collin, and how there was a four years between the two. It was less than Sarah's, but for some reason those four years seemed so much more daunting.

"Has he met your mother?"

Sarah snorted into her cup, rolling her eyes. "My mom never meet my boyfriends. I go through too many."

"Would you though, if he asked?"

Sarah quieted, biting down on her lip. "If he asked I would," she admitted softly.

Melody couldn't help but think she may be short of a roommate soon by the way things were going. Melody only knew what Sarah had told her about him. She knew that his name was Luke. She now knew his age, and that he wasn't a Native American like them. From the small glimpse of him she guessed he was Asian, with probably one of his parents being white. He was a lawyer that had gotten recently hired, just graduating with a masters the year before. She also knew his favorite color was blue, and enjoyed home cooked meals. She remembered Sarah kicking her out one day to make a romantic dinner with him. Sarah had been stressing out about it, wondering if anything would be good. When Melody had gotten home that night though Sarah had been happy, a smile on her face until she went to sleep that night.

Melody knew all that, but she didn't know the most important things about him. She didn't know what his personality was like, or if he had a bad temper. She didn't even know if he would accept the Quileute culture, or if he would force Sarah and whatever children they had to conform to his.

"You love him? Melody asked.

"If I don't yet then I will soon."

"Does he love you?"

"He hasn't said anything yet."

"But he's serious about you?"

Sarah made a noise of agreement, a small smile on her face. "I can tell him to come over sometime. You can meet him then."

That sounded like a good idea, because right now Melody was panicking a little more than Sarah was at this moment.

The next day after work Melody had gone to Collin's house, complaining to him about how worried she was for Sarah.

"She said kids Collin! She's never said that before, and she talks about him all the time. What if he's just being sweet now, but his tune changes later on? She would already love him by then, and when Sarah attaches herself to someone it's not easy for her to let go." Melody worried her lip, her brows sloping down in a semblance of a scowl.

Collin's laugh made her jump.

"It seems you're a lot more worried than she is."

"Of course!" she shouted. "This is my best friend here, and I don't want her to get hurt."

"You're going to meet him anyway."

"Yeah, but what if I think he's really nice and then I agree but then he becomes an ass hole?" She stared at Collin. "Come with me. You would know if he's lying and stuff, right? A lot of the pack can tell."

Collin gave her a look. "I'm not going, I would probably scare him off."

Good idea.

Wait, no bad idea. What if Luke really is a good person?

"Just stay sitting or something. You don't even have to say anything. I'll do all the talking."

Collin shrugged. "If Sarah agrees then I'll come."

Sarah didn't have to know that Collin was stopping by that day.

"All of this is because she said she wanted kids? Isn't that normal for girls?" he suddenly asked.

"For some," she hedged, tugging at a stray strand on the blanket.

He gave her a look. "You want kids, right? You said you did before."

Shit.

Melody stayed quiet for a moment, trying to figure out a good way to word this. "I did say that," she agreed.

"But not… anymore?" Collin trailed off, appearing puzzled.

Melody sighed, rolling over to face him. "It's just I don't want kids anymore. Anabelle is a freak of nature and I'd cut my eyes out if I had a kid like her. Which I'm pretty sure I will based on how much of an ass hole I've been in my life. They say your kids will be two times worse than you were, so knowing me I'd be serving purgatory time if I had them. I'd rather be childless and adopt a dog or something. I can't-" Collin covered her mouth with his hand, effectively stopping her rambling. She stared at Collin uneasy, giving him an awkward smile under his hand. She noticed he was laughing then, his chest shaking with the movement.

"Melody you're crazy. Kids act the way you raise them."

"Not true!" Melody mumbled into his hand. He finally took his hand away so she could speak. "Look at Jordyn! No one is bossy like that around her."

"Sam is like that. He was alpha for a long time, it's hard to shake a habit like that."

"Then all Will does is cry."

"He's a baby! What do you expect him to do?" Collin said with an ironic laugh. Melody paused, trying to find a better example and Collin continued on. "If you're an ass hole to your kids, they're going to be ass holes. If you teach them well, they'll be good. Now that's not guaranteed. A parent isn't a child's whole world. They have neighbors and family members, TV and friends from school. But you just have to hope that everything will work out and they'll turn out all right."

Melody stared at him, trying to figure out exactly how Collin knew all that and when precisely did he grow up. A year ago he would have never said something like this.

"It will be alright. We'll be alright," he said, pulling her across the blanket and into his arms. She sighed against his chest, her thoughts racing as she tried to figure out if she would be willing to have a kid, to create some little creature with Collin one day and chance the fact that she might mess the child up more than she ever was.

Well maybe she'd have one.

* * *

This story will now be an extra chapter long because of the the last chapters became more complicated than I thought it would be. I'm working on the 27th chapter now, so I'm almost finished. Thanks for all the reviews last chapter! I enjoy all the feedback I get from you guys.


	18. Mrs Leslie

Chapter 18: Mrs. Leslie

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Sarah's mother had a tradition, a tradition she has done for as long as Melody had been friends with Sarah. Whenever Melody visited she would make cookies for them, and entering adulthood hadn't changed that. They were always homemade, because Sarah's mom didn't believe in store bought cookies. Cookies had to be made with love, she would always say. They were made from the heart.

Melody stared down at the sugar filled sweets, watching them glisten in the light, before popping one in her mouth. It was delicious as always, crumbling in her mouth and just the right consistency.

Sarah's mom made the perfect cookies.

"How is that boy doing? You know, the one that's been following you around all these years?"

Melody almost laughed. Sarah's mom had known about Collin since he showed up three years ago on this doorstep asking to come and spend time with Melody. According to Mrs. Leslie, Sarah's mom, Collin was a perfect specimen and she completely condoned the fact that Melody was older than Collin. She said that younger girls wouldn't know what to do with him.

But Melody would.

Mrs. Leslie gave her a smirk after saying that, looking her up and down. It had forced a blush onto Melody's face, and it was the first time Melody realized that Sarah's mom knew all about her nightly excursions.

"He's doing alright," Melody answered with a smile.

"He still following you around?"

"Yep."

Mrs. Leslie humph'ed, crossing her arms and leveling a look at Melody. "By now you could have had a ring on it girlie."

Melody choked on her cookie, unsure whether to laugh or cry. "He's seventeen!" She decided on laughter.

"That don't mean nothin' sweet heart. People have gotten married earlier than that." Mrs. Leslie swung her arm in the air carelessly, embellishing her statement. "Besides, you're an adult. Collin acts like an adult. That's more than those girls off of 'Sixteen and Pregnant' can say. You're not even pregnant. It'd be out of love." She gave Melody a quick scan, eyeing her stomach suspiciously. "At least as far as I know. If you are pregnant it better be Collin's." Her last words have a bit of a bite, her mouth pursed unhappily.

Melody snorted, rolling her eyes. She was already used to Mrs. Leslie's antics, although sometimes Melody still got thrown in a tail spin every now and then.

"No, I am not pregnant. I'm still on the Depo shot. Besides, I think you should be more concerned about Sarah. My man-eater ways are practically a thing of the past."

Mrs. Leslie practically fell to the floor in laughter at that last bit.

"What? It's true!" Melody shouted, a bit defensive.

"Girlie, you're a sex addict. Even I know it."

"I'm not! I just do it because… it feels good. Usually I'm drunk anyways. I don't go _seeking_ sex." At least that was her rationalization.

"Mhmm, that's what all addicts say. An addict can't admit that they have a problem." Sarah's mom points the wooden spoon at Melody accusingly, before dropping it into the lukewarm sink water to soak.

"Then I have a problem," Melody said dryly.

Mrs. Leslie stared quietly at Melody, her face not giving anything away. Suddenly, a huge smile grew. "I knew it!" She did a quick happy dance, before wincing and complaining of her back and how things didn't work the way they used to.

There was no winning against Mrs. Leslie. It was a very rare moment when someone won when up against the woman. But at least Melody felt better. Mrs. Leslie always seemed to be able to do that. Melody had been having a horrible day before.

She should have known this morning when nothing went right that it would be a bad day. Her hair wouldn't cooperate no matter what she threw at it. She decided to settle for a high ponytail, adding curls to hide the fact that her hair was a disaster. Then when she got to work her co-worker was in a bad mood. Melody wasn't sure why, but it lasted all day. In the end Melody had decided to stick to her side of the desk, and her co-worker stuck to her own too.

If that wasn't enough then she got a flat tire driving back home. Melody knew how to change one, but not very well. She had ruined her white blouse by the time one of the pack noticed her stranded. Seth had come out of the forest and helped finish the job, and it took about two seconds for him to do it. She was irritated after that, because it had taken Melody twenty minutes just to get the lug nuts loosened on the tire. It was hard work, a lot harder than she thought. Seth made it look like she wasn't even trying. He didn't do it on purpose of course, he whistled happily as he worked and less than ten minutes later had completely finished the job. That included placing the popped tire in her trunk and getting her car back on the ground.

If there was ever a time she wished she was a werewolf it was when she needed to change a tire.

Melody decided after that she needed a break, and called Sarah's mom to warn her that she was coming to visit. Sarah was supposed to come soon too, after her shift ended.

When Melody got there the cookies were just coming out of the oven. Sarah's mom worked fast, _really_ fast.

"Mom! I hate working at the gas station!" Sarah shouted, the porch door slamming as she made her entrance. She threw her work shirt on the couch, tugging at her tank top.

By now Mrs. Leslie was on the sofa, her feet up while munching on cookies and watching Lifetime movies. It was her guilty pleasure.

"Suck it up girlie. That thing is yours once I'm too old to work it," Mrs. Leslie laughed, smirking at her daughter.

"Moooom," she whined. "Can we sell it? We should just sell it."

"If you sell that store I'm gonna beat your hiney," her mother warmed, a no nonsense look on her face. "I'll haunt you if you sell it after I die."

The store had been the pride and joy of Sarah's dad. He loved that little run down gas station. Before he died he was always the one in charge of working it, but the two of them had to ban together once he passed away to keep it running. Mrs. Leslie even took a few business classes to help things go a little smoother.

"Dana Oaks came in, whining about how since I've known her my whole life I should give her something free every now and then," Sarah complained. "Everyone's always asking for hand-me-out's. They think we're loaded or something. But this town is too small to make much off a gas station."

When Sarah's father first died they almost had to get rid of it. They couldn't figure out how to stay out of the negatives. It took a few months, but they had gotten the hang of it. They even had an extra employee now, a high school student from the Res. He came in two to three times a week.

"Dana Oaks was always mean to you two, wasn't she?" her mother asked curiously.

"Oh yeah," Sarah agreed. "But me and Melody actually became friends because of her, so it's all good." Sarah pulled Melody onto the couch, snuggling into her arm. Melody only giggled, pushing herself back against the couch and laying her head on Sarah's shoulder.

Mrs. Leslie gave Sarah a sly look. "You could always go to college."

Sarah snorted, grabbing one of the cookies off her mother's plate. "Yeah right. _Me_? College? I almost failed junior _and_ senior year."

Melody had almost failed every year of high school, so she stayed quiet. Melody actually wasn't sure how good at school she was, considering she never even remotely tried until senior year. She always did just enough to get by. So far it seemed like she wasn't missing out on anything because of it.

A wolf howled in the distance, perking Melody's attention. There had been a few close calls for new wolves. Altogether there had been almost three more additions. One of them, the pack had surmised, had just had a really fast growth spurt. The last two had the ability to shift if a vamp ever happened to run across the Res. Vampires didn't come here as often with the Cullen's gone, so there were less wolves because of it. One of the two that had the possibility to shift had left to a university out of state, but the other was still here. He was a senior like Collin and Brady, so those two kept a careful eye on him.

"Hey Sarah," Mrs. Leslie said, giving her a teasing grin. "Melody said she's not a sex addict."

They both burst into laughter, Sarah holding onto her stomach from how hard she was giggling. In Melody's opinion, it was borderline obnoxious. But she didn't like the joke to begin with.

Melody pouted, crossing her arms across her chest with a stubborn look on her face.

So much for friends always having your back.

* * *

If someone likes my stories enough to beta them, I would really appreciate it. I've been searching for a beta since my first story, but they never work out or just disappear before they beta anything. If someone were to take up beta'ing for me I would just need them for grammar purposes and give me their opinion, such as when I should elaborate more or less on something and things like that. Thanks everyone for favoriting and reviewing!


	19. New Beginnings

Chapter 19: New Beginnings

* * *

Panic.

Melody could to nothing but panic. Breathe panic. Feel panic. _Be_ panic.

She flitted about the house, nervously adjusting little things like her necklace, and the abstract vase in the hallway with a chip on the side, hidden deftly facing the wall. She was pretty certain she had never felt this nervous before, and it was all because of Luke.

Sarah only watched Melody with an odd look in her eyes, as if trying to figure Melody out. _Melody_ couldn't even figure Melody out at this moment.

"So… why are you freaking out again?"

Melody froze, her eyes widening with a 'deer in the headlights' look. She took a moment to glare at Sarah, because Sarah had never asked why she was nervous in the first place. Using the word 'again' implied that Sarah was already privy to this knowledge, and Melody didn't have to wonder if it was okay to tell Sarah.

"I'm just excited, is all," Melody shrugged, trying to play it cool. Her body tensed as she fought with herself to not fidget.

"You don't look excited," Sarah muttered, pulling her gaze off of Melody and awkwardly staring at the wall.

"Well, I am. I'm excited to meet him, excited for you." Melody wasn't even sure what she was saying, but as long as it kept Sarah off her trail she could mumble whatever nonsense she wanted to.

Melody wasn't even sure if Sarah understood that Luke was about to get the complimentary best friend talk. But Melody was starting to think that Sarah was beginning to suspect so based on the way she kept glancing over suspiciously at Melody.

It didn't help that Collin wasn't here yet.

Everything would fall through if Collin didn't show. Collin was the one with super senses, not her. Melody only had her paltry human ones. She would have to depend on intuition more than anything, which could be extremely faulty.

A knock sounded off the door and Melody rushed to get it, wiping her clammy palms on her jeans.

"I thought I…." Her voice trailed off as she stared at Luke. Luke, no name. Her mind let out a flurry of curse words as he gave her an a bit amused grin.

"We've never met before. My name is Luke Santos," he said, holding his hand out in a friendly manner as he introduced himself.

Melody took a quick glance into the forest with narrowed eyes before giving him a hesitant smile. "Melody." She took his hand in hers, giving it a quick shake before gesturing to come in.

Sarah gave him a quick kiss before pulling him into the living room where we waited for the lasagna to finish warming up. Mrs. Leslie had given us one for the occasion. Our only job was to stick it in the oven, which even Sarah couldn't mess up.

"I hear you've lived here your whole life," he started, appearing relaxed as he held Sarah's hand in his lap.

Sarah was too busy making bedroom eyes at him, so Melody responded. "Yeah, we've been here our whole lives. We've never even been out of Washington."

Melody's foot tapped nervously on the wooden floor. Luke wasn't very tall, just about Melody's height, but that still made him taller than Sarah. His hair was a dark brown, along with his eyes, and she noticed a few faded acne scars left over from teen years. He appeared confident, a smile always seemed to be on his face. So far, Melody hadn't caught any odd vibes from him, but some people were born actors. She furiously texted Collin on her phone, her fingers speeding over the keyboard.

She vaguely heard Luke say something to Sarah about having to take Sarah out of state, and Melody rolled her eyes. They were both charming, each of them apparently knowing exactly how to play the other. She stared nervously at the two of them, watching their body language. They often reached for each other, Sarah's upper body leaning towards him every time he said something.

Fondness, more than anything Melody could tell they were fond of each other. It seemed like they had been dating for several years instead of months. It was the type of romance that was relaxed and playful. Luke didn't really say much to Sarah's playful banter, but the curve of his lip showed he liked it.

When Sarah mentioned something about a bedroom, Melody decided to make herself scarce. A knock sounded on the door just as she stood up. She practically ran to the door.

Collin sat on the doorsteps, breathless with his hair windblown. "I tried to get here as fast as I could! David was late for his shift, he was playing his stupid video games," he complained.

"_He's _already here," she whispered.

"Yeah, I know," he said, kicking off his shoes. "I can smell him."

Melody stared at him. "Does he smell treacherous?"

Collin choked, fighting back laughter. "You're really paranoid, you know that?"

Melody sighed, and when Sarah caught sight of Collin her pleasant smile immediately dropped for a stony one. If Sarah couldn't tell before then she could tell now; by the end of the night, her boyfriend would get the third degree.

"Collin," she said, thin lipped with her back straight. "I didn't know you were coming."

Melody interrupted before Collin could open his mouth. "I told him the wrong day. Silly me." She gave a nervous giggle.

Sarah scowled as she crossed her arms against her chest, glaring down the two of them. Too bad she had seen worse glares, like Mila Call's. Melody almost peed herself a little the first time she was subjected to it. Just a little.

Sarah didn't bother to respond, dragging Melody out the room by her upper arm. "What are you doing?" She burst once they were far enough away. "I thought this was some harmless dinner!"

"It is!" Melody said with a happy smile, nodding along.

"Oh really? 'Silly me,'" she said in quotations with an eye roll, mimicking Melody sarcastically. "You always say that when you're lying."

"Do not," she argued, a blush growing on her face.

Sarah just gave her another look before entering the living room. Collin was staring awkwardly at the wall, pretending he didn't hear anything. Luke was more confused than anything, giving nervous looks to the giant man sitting on the love seat. Collin really was too big for that chair.

"This is Collin, Melody's boy toy," Sarah introduced sounding peeved.

Melody glared. "He's not my boy toy! He's my, uh…." She went blank, staring as Sarah as she tried out to figure exactly what he was.

Well it was Melody's fault to begin with that she didn't know what they were. She was the one that decided not to label it.

"Ah, Collin," Luke said with a cough. "I've heard about you. Apparently you two are destiny or something, as far as Sarah is concerned." He reached over to tug Sarah closer to her, attempting to help her to relax.

Melody watched Collin, hoping for some type of obvious sign that Collin would do if Luke didn't seem genuine. But Collin was too busy staring at Sarah, a confused expression on his face. He had that look on his face where he was trying to figure something out, but not all of the pieces were there.

Melody nudged Collin, making him glance at her. "What are you doing? Watch Luke, not Sarah," she whispered.

"Destiny?" Collin repeated, staring back and forth between the two lovebirds on the couch across from them.

Great. Well there went her plan. Collin was too busy mooning over the fact that someone out of the pack thought the two of them were meant to be.

"Duh," Sarah said. "You'd have to be blind not to know that." Her face became thoughtful. "Deaf too."

Melody groaned, shoving herself deeper into the love seat that barely fit the two of them. Collin sent a smirk at Melody. "See, we're _destined_," he grinned, teasing her.

Nothing went according to plan after that. It was like Sarah and Collin had teamed up against Melody, and Collin didn't even like Sarah! Since when could he have any length of conversation with her?

Oh yeah. Because according to Sarah they were _destiny_.

Melody tried, she really did. But she didn't get very far. She would ask questions about Luke, and Luke would answer before asking another one about her. He seemed to have relaxed after he realized that Collin was harmless. By the end of the night Collin and Luke were practically best friends, arguing about some football game they had watched. She thought she heard them mention Super Bowl once.

Sarah appeared gloating, making fancy eyebrow movements that Melody had no hope of duplicating, sending a smirk her way. Sarah knew her plan had failed horribly.

"You did nothing Collin!" she argued, closing her bedroom once Luke had gone home. "I asked you to come over to help me figure out if he is a good guy, and you befriend him and talk about _football_." She had never really liked football.

He laughed, turning on a lamp near her bed for some light before throwing himself back onto her bed. "Relax Mel, he's a good guy."

"Of course you think that! I-"

"No, honestly he is," he interrupted, sounding serious. "I didn't notice him lying at all, and he was genuine the whole time. He's a good guy, Melody. You can put the best friend police away."

She stopped her pacing to stare at him. "Honestly?" she asked hesitantly.

"If he's playing her, he's the world's greatest actor, or just really good at controlling his expressions and reactions."

She bit her lip, before climbing into bed next to him. "I'm just worried, is all."

"I know, that's normal. But he's really not messing with her."

She nodded, snuggling her head into her pillow. She really thought the whole time Collin wasn't paying attention. She should have known better, the pack always seemed to be alert even when they appeared the most relaxed.

Their eyes locked as Melody pulled her eyes away the pillow, and something passed between them. Melody wasn't sure what, but it had left her breathless and unable to tear her eyes away from his. His eyes bore into hers and he swallowed thickly, before reaching out to caress the side of her face. She closed her eyes, leaning into his skin and enjoying the touch.

She wasn't sure what happened, or who moved first. But one moment she was pressing her head against his chest, and the next their lips were glued firmly together.

Melody knew she should think this through. But her mind felt so foggy, and this felt so wonderful. She ran her hands through his hair roughly, pulling him closer. She vaguely realized a hand had slid up her shirt, but then Collin would pull her back in with a deep kiss that made her forget why she was even going to protest.

"I love you so much," he whispered against her skin. She was too distracted to reply, running her hands over the planes of his stomach just like she had been aching to do for months. Skin, the taste of skin had always delighted her. She arched her back, managing to get on top of him before arduously pulling her lips off of his to taste him. She ran kisses across his cheek, and then down his jaw. She licked a trail down his neck, just like she had in her dream.

Dream?

She blinked heavily, the fog lifting from her gaze. Collin reached forward as if going to kiss her again, but stopped after he looked into her eyes.

"No," he whispered, almost painfully. "Don't look at me like that. Don't regret it."

Her heartbeat was deafening in her ears. She noticed his hands were still under her shirt, frozen, waiting for a response. She wasn't even sure if he realized where they were.

Seventeen. Collin was still seventeen. And this _wasn't_ a dream.

Oddly enough, she felt tears in her eyes. But not because she was ashamed or disgusted with herself, but because she was so disappointed. She tried to blink them away before Collin noticed, but when had she ever been able to hide anything from him? She felt his hands, once so warm and inviting, clench into fists before dragging them across her skin and from under her shirt. They dropped aimlessly onto the bed, his expression becoming hard as he turned his head away from her to stare into the dark.

She knew it wasn't because he was angry with her, it was a mixture of things. It was because he had hoped, really hoped, that this time it would be for real. It was because this was all he had wished for since he was fourteen.

It was because he was hurt.

Melody took a shaky breath in, clenching her fist in Collin's shirt before leaning her head against his chest. She took a heavy breath against his clothed skin, before moving her lips slightly higher to place a soft kiss on his chest.

His reaction was immediate. A whoosh of air left his lungs, the air brushing against her skin. His muscles relaxed against hers, and his head turned back to look her in the eyes.

Melody pulled back, staring down at him and taking in his face.

"Are you going to hide from me now?" His voice cracking near the end, before becoming stronger. "I'm not going to let you hide, Melody. I told you that before, and I'm telling you now. I want you to talk to me. Tell me what's going on, and what's going to happen now. Don't just hide from me."

She stared down at him, her hands propped up against his chest to help her from losing her balance. "I'm not going to hide," she finally said.

"Melody, I know you. As soon as I leave you're going to barricade yourself in this room, avoiding me until you actually have to leave and go to work."

"You know when I lie, you always have. Am I lying now?" She cocked her head at him, waiting for an answer.

He stared at her for a moment, before pulling himself into a sitting position, clutching her hands in his as she readjusted herself on him. "I can't take this anymore Melody. Don't change your mind Melody, please don't," he whispered desperately, squeezing her hands.

Melody bit her lip, pulling her gaze off his eyes to stare at their hands. She didn't know what she wanted anymore. She wanted to be happy, and she wanted Collin to be happy too. But he hadn't been happy in a long time. There had been brief moments, sure, but not the full out contentness that one could feel when they felt their life was complete

She leaned down, softly pecking him on the lips before pulling her hands from his and wrapping them around his neck. He sat frozen against her, not even his chest moved to take in air. She felt a light tremor in his hands, and she kissed him again once more to reassure him.

"What is this?" he finally asked.

She placed her forehead on his, staring at his lips. "Me being with you, me loving you."

"What exactly does that mean?" he pushed, hesitantly wrapping his arms around her.

She kissed him again, this time deeper and softer, like a caress. She pulled away, leaning her forehead against his to look him in the eye.

"It means I want to be with you."

* * *

I have a wonderful beta now, Nameless-dono. She helped me edit this chapter and I think she did an amazing job. Thanks!

I waited longer than normal to post a chapter because I wasn't getting any reviews and I wanted some feedback. My number one reason for posting stories is to get feedback on my writing. I want to become a better writer before trying to get published. I have two original works outlines and info already finished. I just need to write them, which I'm waiting to improve on before writing. _So from now on I'm not posting until I get at least four reviews._ Even if it takes forever I'm not posting. If I want to get better than I need feedback, otherwise I'll keep making the same mistakes.

Guest Comments:

Lizzi: Thanks!


	20. The New Additions

Chapter 20: The New Additions

* * *

The walls were red.

A dark crimson that she found beautiful. The windows were large and open; the curtains a tan color with threads of red laced through them. The carpet was softest thing she had ever felt, even softer than that bear plushy Collin had won her two years back at the fair. She pressed her toes deeply into it, relishing in the texture.

Sue Clearwater had an amazing house.

Melody had never been in it before, but now she'd had the pleasure of being stuck in it for two hours. Collin hadn't given her much of an explanation when he had banged on her at eight in the morning. He hadn't even let her change out of the sweatpants and thread-bare shirt she was wearing.

Collin had created an all-time low in her life. She had _never_ left the house looking this bad before.

Not even as a child. Melody had always been borderline obsessive about her appearance, something her mother had never found healthy but didn't do anything about. Every morning Melody woke up almost two hours early to get ready. Throughout the day she kept her compact mirror on her and always touched her hair to make sure it was still in place. Collin had accepted it as her little quirk but wasn't very amused when she had almost thrown a fit this morning about not being dressed to leave.

Which was why she was hiding in one of the empty rooms of Sue Clearwater's.

Melody felt under dressed, and her appearance lacking. It also didn't help that when the children had seen her the first thing out of Annabelle's mouth was, 'What's wrong with Melody's eyes?'

Melody could only glare, self-consciously looking towards the floor to keep people from seeing her face. Today was supposed to be her lazy day. She always took one day a week where she did not put makeup on, just to give her skin a breather and exfoliate it. Without makeup she felt bare, as if she were only part of a person. She had worn it since she was twelve and had gotten into her mother's eyeliner stash.

But now she was hiding in a room. Hoping no one would come in. Because she didn't want them to see her with no makeup. Melody was _livid_. She would make sure to pound it into his head that makeup was an essential part of her person once he got back, just like her outfits were.

That was, if he got back.

She worried her lip, watching the forest edge nervously from her spot on the bed. A group of vampires had been dashing across the borderline the past few days. It had the guys on edge, and poor Paul had ended up phasing after running into the scent a third time. The first time he had managed to control himself, the second time he barely made it. But the third time broke him.

Paul was out for blood now.

He had been doing amazing before that, his muscle bulk had even began to decrease a bit and his food intake was lessening. But now he would have to start over again, all from scratch. It was starting to worry Paul, and his imprint Lizzy too. From the small glance Melody had taken when she dashed up the stairs Lizzy was in the corner biting on her nails, a worried look on her face as she watched her two children playing clueless in a corner.

Melody walked to the window, staring outside at the lukewarm weather. It was a little warm for late fall, it was near winter if one were to look at a calendar, but for some reason the days had been really mild this week. No snow. No rain. Only wind blowing a light breeze and the sun's rays dancing across their skin. She was sure that pretty soon the ice, sleet, and bone chilling cold would come; but right now she was enjoying the weather.

At least she was before.

Now the only thing she could think about was if Collin would be okay. Maybe she was wrong to put boundaries on their newly formed relationship. That one mean glare she had leveled at him as he left could be the last image of her he had in his head. Perhaps she should have just _lived_, allowing whatever was meant to happen, happen. She had a no sex ban as of right now because she still wasn't sure if she was ready for that step with him. He seemed happy enough to agree to that, so it hadn't bothered either of them.

It was strange how she made such a big deal about sex when it came to him. Melody wasn't even sure herself how many guys she had slept with throughout the years.

But with Collin, everything was different.

They were officially dating now. The pack could barely believe their ears when Collin told them. All of the guys all had to check with her for themselves, and even then they had trouble accept it.

It wasn't until Collin had pressed her up against a car, held her hands above her head, and kissed the breath out of her that they finally believed him. Melody had given him a look after that; but he had only grinned, stating that he only wanted to prove their status as a couple.

How could she get angry at him for that?

She understood that he had waited years for this and it was only natural for him to want to bask in it. Brady was still a bit paranoid about her. He worried about his best friend and whether or not Melody would change her mind; but she would prove him wrong.

Her skin felt so weird without makeup.

She was probably too accustomed to having it on. She felt uncomfortable without it, being all out in the open like this. A knock on the door startled her, making her jump.

"Who is it?" she asked.

"It's me," Sue Clearwater said, inching through the door. Melody blushed, staring towards the floor once more. "You can come downstairs, you know. We don't bite."

Melody begged to differ because she was pretty sure she had seen bite marks on Lenny's skin.

"I'm okay up here," she assured her. "I'm just watching."

"You can watch down there too. We have windows there as well."

Melody only stared at the ground, digging her toes into the carpet. She felt Sue sit down next to her, the bed dipping down with the added weight.

"What's wrong Melody? You're not afraid of us, are you? I heard that you babysat the kids once, and Emily seems to like you. She was talking about you the other day, all good stuff I assure you."

Melody stared at Sue, momentarily forgetting to hide her face. Emily had said good things about her?

She flushed red again, bringing her hand up to her face and nervously looking away.

"Oh I get it," Sue said in comprehension. "It's your makeup. Sweetheart, you look beautiful."

Melody was pretty sure all older people said that regardless of how pretty a person actually was. They were always saying things like that to her.

"I mean it. Come here." Melody felt a hand on her chin, tugging it towards Sue. The older woman scrutinized her face before making a tutting noise, her lips curved into a crooked smile. "Melody, you're beautiful. You have flawless skin. Why do you think you need makeup?"

"Because," she muttered, getting up to pace across the floor. "Sometimes a girl just needs a little help."

"Sweetheart, any more help and you'd be a goddess," Sue said dryly.

Melody stopped walking back and forth, turning her head towards Sue. "You think?"

"You're too pretty for your own good, sweetheart. I remember in high school you left a string of broken hearts. My boy used to like you too, thought you were gorgeous. He tried drawing a picture of you. It looked like chicken scratch but it's the thought that counts."

Melody's jaw dropped, blinking hard. She couldn't quite come to terms with that information. Seth had liked _her_? She didn't think many people in high school had. In fact, most of high school she spent being ignored in general. It was probably because they knew she was hopped up on drugs half the time.

"I always wear makeup." It was all she could think to say.

Sue shook her head at Melody. "It's so bad for your skin. All that oil builds up, clogging your pores. It's going to age your skin, and that pretty skin you have now will be gone."

Melody reached up to touch her cheek, frightened by the thought. "Do you really think I don't need it?"

Sue stared at her amused. "I'm not saying don't ever wear it, sometimes a girl needs to dress up, but use it more sparingly."

"I need eyeliner, I've been wearing it for almost ten years now."

"It's going to give you crow's feet around your eyes if you're not careful."

Melody was starting to realize her obsession with a perfect appearance was beginning to become a problem, because right now she felt terrified by the thought of wrinkles.

"Oh, calm down. I used to be like you, always wearing makeup and never going out without it. But when I went to college I stopped wearing it as much and realized it didn't really make as much of a difference as I thought it would. No one treated me any worse after it, and my love life didn't suffer either." She grabbed Melody's hand, patting it lightly. "Come on, let's go downstairs."

"But Annabelle already said I look weird," she whispered, ducking her head shyly.

"No offence, but Annabelle is a little turd. Don't tell her mother I said that." Sue smiled, pulling Melody into the living room before letting go.

"Leah picked one hell of a weekend to come visit," Sue sighed tiredly, shaking her shoulder length chestnut-colored hair back and forth before going into the kitchen with Emily.

Melody knew that Leah was meant to come sometime today and stay for a week. Her university had a week off or something like that. Melody didn't know Leah very well, other than the things everyone knew about her. She knew that Leah used to date Sam, and they had almost gotten married. She also knew that when Sam left her, it changed her. She remembered Leah as a happy person. She would walk around La Push with a huge smile on her face, Sam trailing along behind her. Then when they broke up things changed. Leah was always a bit sarcastic, but it always in good fun before. After Sam broke up with her she was always scowling, and never seemed to be very content with her life.

Melody hadn't seen Leah for almost three years now. Since Leah had gone to college. She wasn't sure if Leah had changed much during her college experience. On a visit last year Sarah said she saw her while working. Leah seemed quieter was all Sarah said.

"Mewady!" Lenny shouted, running over to her. "Momma said not ta botha you till you came down. Will you pway with me?"

Melody turned pink once more, getting eye level with Lenny. "Of course, what do you want to play?"

"Bwocks!" she shouted, throwing her hands above her head with a giggle before running across the room where Akilina was waiting.

A howl from outside had all the imprints staring nervously out the window. A moment later it sounded as if the whole pack had joined.

"What does that mean?" Melody whispered.

"I'm not sure," Lizzy answered, her voice fragile.

It became quiet again, and one lone howl filled the air and then nothing was heard. Melody clenched her fist tightly to keep from shaking. Something obviously had happened, but no one was sure what.

The door slammed open and at first all that could be seen was a shadow.

"Leah!" Sue called, racing over to the tall woman and pulling her into her arms.

"Hey mom," she murmured softly, rubbing her mother's back.

"I was so worried. You were late. I thought you had got stuck in whatever is going on outside." They walked over to the loveseat, all of them hanging onto their every words.

"I did. One vamp practically ran right in front of me."

"Vamp?" Jordyn asked curiously, tilting her head.

Leah gave her mother a look. "She still doesn't know?"

"She's only four Leah," Sue muttered softly, straightening her back while plucking at her impeccably clean khakis.

Leah shook her head. "Van. A van ran right in front of me. I almost hit it, but I have amazing reflexes." She gave Jordyn a wink, making the little girl giggle.

"Kids come on, it's time for a nap," Lizzy called out nervously, ignoring their complaints as they slowly made their way to the spare bedroom. Lizzy sent a leveled gaze towards Emily, as if saying Emily better fill her in when she came back, before disappearing into the room with them.

"Anyways," Leah began, shaking her head. "I did join them for a bit. They needed it. They're going crazy out there. The bloodsuckers made a new kid phase, someone in Brady and Collin's grade. He's not adapting well. All the howls were because he was losing it. He thought he was crazy or something. Embry had to alpha command him to calm down because he didn't have time to deal with it. One of the pack is staying with him, and the rest are running circles all over the Res to keep the vamps out."

"We're going to have a new brother," Kim said softly, placing the shirt she was folding down. It seemed whenever Kim was anxious she cleaned, and Emily cooked. Sue wasn't complaining. The guys would have a feast when they came back and Sue, a spotless house.

"How many vampires are out there?" Melody asked carefully.

Leah brought her head over to Melody, giving her a once over. "So you're the one everyone likes to gossip about," she chuckled. Melody could feel her skin burning and placed a hand on her cheek self-consciously. "You're either a wreck or were dragged out of your house, right? Every image I've ever seen of you in the pack mind has been pristine."

Then Melody was right. Her makeup and clothes _did_ make a difference.

"I-um," Melody stuttered, her mouth opening and closing unsure of what to say.

Leah leaned back, giving Melody a toothy grin. "I like you, and I don't like many people. You're the only one to really fight the imprint. Love stories can't be fucking manufactured, something I think you know."

Melody looked uncertainly at Emily, but she avoided eye contact. Emily had fought the pull too, she knew, just not as long as Melody. "I wasn't really interest in love, is all."

Leah nodded, her shoulder length hair bobbing with the motion. "I hear you finally gave in. I enjoyed the drama for the first year; but _god,_ Collin whined so fucking much in the pack mind."

Melody's smile tightened. She was never privy to the pack mind. Collin didn't really tell her anything about it other than it was there. None of the other wolves said anything either, not that she really tried to get to know any of the wolves before. Sometimes she just wished Collin would tell her things that really bothered him about her, but he never would. He was too worried about hurting her, so glances and intuitive guesses would be all she ever had.

"Anyways there are four of them. They have good strategies, as much as I hate to say it, splitting into groups and separating which forces the pack to do the same. I'm not sure what the bloodsucker's are doing, but I'm in here now to help by offering you guys more protection. Brady is still running laps around this house too," Leah finally answered.

"Everyone is okay?" Kim asked.

"So far," Leah agreed.

A silence filled the room. "How is Jake? He doesn't really call here much, only like once a year."

Leah was one of the few people Jacob kept in touch with as far as Melody knew. She thought he called Quil and Embry every once in a while, but she wasn't sure.

"He's good. His imprint is full grown and done flitting across the globe in curiosity. From what I understand all she wants is him now. It doesn't seem to be sitting well with a few of the Cullen's, but what did they expect?"

Melody didn't really have much of a clue as to what Leah was talking about. Collin had told her that Jacob had a half-vampire imprint but that was it. The way Leah intoned the last part made Melody think she was alluding to a certain person not liking that the half-vampire and Jacob were getting together, but she couldn't be sure. Melody had never known the Cullen's. She didn't even know their names except for Bella and the half breed Nessie. Bella only because of all the drama surrounding her, and Nessie because of the imprint.

She wasn't going to ask about it though.

More howls came out the forest, and Leah raced to the window staring out into their green surroundings. She tilted her head thoughtfully, before turning around.

"Well now is the time of truth."

Fear swelled up in Melody, and she bit her lip hard as she worried.

"Ara, what's wrong sweetheart?" she heard Sue ask. Ara was sitting in the corner looking as if any moment from now she would have a panic attack.

"I can't breathe," she whispered, fanning herself. Tears began to fall from her eyes and she attempted to take a deep, calming breaths.

"It's going to be alright," Sue assured her. "The guys have been doing this for years. They know their stuff."

"But what if they get hurt?" she sobbed. "Jake had gotten hurt before, so has David." Not to mention that fact that a new guy just phased, throwing off the pack dynamic in a time that really shouldn't be messed with, Melody thought to herself.

"They're going to be fine, they always are," Emily said, rubbing Ara's back.

"That's what everyone thinks until something bad happens," Ara cried out, inconsolable. Melody couldn't help but agree. No one usually thinks something bad is going to happen, it usually just happens.

"You just have to believe in them. Someone has to," Sue murmured. Ara shook her head, not happy with that answer. It wasn't evident why until a few moments later.

"I'm pregnant and I never told Seth!" She burst out. "What am I supposed to do? What if he dies and I never get to tell him?" Her shoulders heaved with the effort to get her words out, her hands shaking in her lap as she clutched uselessly to her faded jeans. "I was too afraid to tell him. I panicked! I didn't want to change, and a kid would change everything. We worked so hard to get where we're at. I only wanted to stay the same for a little longer."

All the girls traded stunned expressions with each other, the only sound being Ara and her desolate cries.

Well shit.

* * *

So my new job takes a lot more time from me than I anticipated. I also begin school next week too, so I don't know how quickly I'll be posting chapters from now on. At least there's only eight chapters left so there's not too much of a wait. Also, I'd like to thank my beta Nameless-dono for helping me edit this chapter.

Guest Comments:

Livvi- Thank you! I try to use good detail, but sometimes I think I overdo it. After all, readers enjoy filling in the gaps too. ;)

Friendlyneighbor- I wanted this story to be more real and nitty gritty, full of the things most people ignore when writing. There's a lot of arguing and misunderstandings between Melody and Collin, and I think that's just going to be a part of their relationship. The character and plot development took up a lot of these chapters. I was able to make things less spontaneous, and more gradual. Although usually Melody ends up realizing something all at once, it was gradual. She just doesn't notice the signs.

Shannon- Thanks for the review!


	21. Three Wishes

Chapter 21: Three Wishes

* * *

Melody couldn't help but think the weather was having an effect on them all. It had started to snow sometime after Ara's announcement, and that had only made things even more melancholy. Ara was no longer crying but she would sniffle every now and then, refusing to leave the chair near the window and keeping watch for the pack.

Mila had gone to her knitting. She finished up a scarf and had started a matching hat, blues and greens lacing through it like the scales of a rattlesnake. She appeared thoughtful, and seemed to be panicking the least out of the imprints.

Kim and Emily were on a mission, cleaning and cooking to their hearts contents to keep them from their more negative thoughts. In fact, at one point they sent Sam out for more ingredients, which did not made him happy at all. He had been sitting on the porch keeping guard, just in case. He hadn't phased for years now, but he could if worse came to worse.

Lizzy had decided to nap with the kids after the announcement. Melody believed she hoped that it would all be over by the time she woke up. It wasn't, of course, and now the children had to be taken care of too. It was how Melody had ended up being responsible for Embry Jr., Akilina, and Lenny. Mila had given Annabelle an extra pair of her knitting needles and the little demon was enchanted by them. She had been at it for almost an hour, and she had actually make a chain of yarn in that time. Something looked very wrong with it of course, but Annabelle didn't seem to notice. She was too proud of it to be bothered.

The pack elders had made their way here in the meantime, and Sue had taken them to a back room to speak. They had been back there for an hour now, and Melody was happy enough to wonder what was keeping them back there. Melody had no interest in learning what the tribal elders did in their free time.

Something wet spread on Melody's hand and she looked down to see a pool of drool coming from little Embry's mouth. She winced, grabbing the nearby burp towel to wipe it up. Lenny and Akilina took care of themselves for the most part, only coming to her when they were hungry. Akilina had been easily distracted today, as if she knew what was going on outside and wanted to join in the fight. A quick tap to the knee would bring her back, and the little girl would smile before going back to playing with Lenny.

The door creaked open, and everyone paused what they were doing to stare through the white void. Embry was the first to enter, his face serious and withdrawn. But that wasn't too different from the usual. The only time he seemed to smile was when he engaged in conversation with his pack or family. She couldn't really recall anyone in particular who came after Embry; she was too busy looking for the familiar face of Collin. She froze when they stopped coming through, searching in desperation for her wolf thinking perhaps she missed him.

"He's still out patrolling," Brady supplied, rocking Akilina in his arms. "David is too. There's still one more vamp out there. We couldn't get her, although we got her mate."

"I'm thinking she'll come back. She looked pretty pissed," Jared intoned, rocking Gareth in his arms. It seemed Gareth was a little more attached to his dad, although not anything like Will was to Kim.

Seth was talking carefully to his imprint in the corner, his voice too soft for Melody to hear. Melody turned her head away, giving them some privacy. It was a little too intimate for her to feel comfortable watching.

"When will Collin come back?" Melody asked breathless with worry.

"In a few hours. We're going to up the security for now, putting three wolves on the perimeter instead of two. Michael is about to have a mental breakdown if he hasn't already so I need to get over there, but I wanted to visit my family before going back out," Embry supplied. Melody could also hear Seth muttering something to his imprint about having the first watch over the new wolf, so Melody could only guess Michael was the new addition's name.

Melody wondered why Collin couldn't have had the same privilege. Seth and Embry got to see their imprints, why not Collin? Maybe it was because Melody and Collin weren't married, although that didn't make much sense to her. They viewed the imprint higher than any human binding ceremony.

What if Collin had gotten hurt and they were keeping it from her?

She felt herself begin to tremble at the thought, nervously running a hand through her hair before reaching for her purse to get a cigarette. The outside air was so cold it felt like it had made her very breath freeze, but then her lungs began to work again. In and out, in and out, until she could light the cigarette and take a deep breath out of the toxic fumes.

"What happened in there?"

Embry had followed her out, motioning with his head towards the house. Melody rubbed her arms in an attempt to gain some heat. She had been in too much of a rush to grab her coat. The thought hadn't even occurred to her. She took another long drag before answering.

"Nothing, I just wanted a smoke."

Embry gave her a look, like he didn't believe a word she just said. He appeared incredulous, one brow arched high above the other. "By the way you're whiffing that cigarette in that's hard to believe."

Melody turned and leaned on the porch rail, sighing as the tears gathered in her eyes. She wasn't about to tell Embry she was ten seconds from an emotional breakdown. Her hands shook heavily on her next puff, and she squeezed her eyes shut to stop any tears from falling. "I think I should go. The vampires are gone and all, I'll just grab my jacket and be out." She took a deep breath in to compose herself, before turning around to do just as she said.

Embry's hand on her upper arm stopped her. She couldn't bring herself to look back at him; she was too afraid to meet his gaze out of fear that the carefully held in tears would begin their treacherous path down her cheeks to her chin, where they would leave darkened circles on her shirt and make everything so very obvious. She could hide her face, it was harder to hide the wet material of her shirt.

"Collin volunteered to stay back. He knew out of all the imprints you could handle a few hours more without him."

Melody bit her lip, her body relaxing even as she tried to figure out what that meant on Collin's part. She couldn't decide if it was because of all the times she had left without seeing him for days, or he just thought she was that strong. She hoped it was the latter, but she wasn't sure.

"I'll walk you to your house. It's only a few minutes away from here, and Collin would feel a little better to know you weren't alone for the walk there," he volunteered once he realized that Melody was not going to answer. Melody blinked hard, lighting another cigarette. Embry brought her coat out for her and they walked to her house, the journey quiet and withdrawn.

"I don't think you need a third, Melody. You're going to burn your lungs out."

"No, I need it," she said, lighting it with a sigh. Her lungs were ruined anyways. She had been smoking for six years now, heavily at that.

He cocked an eyebrow at her. "Is smoking your way of dealing with stress?"

Her hand stopped its journey to her mouth and she stared at him.

"It's just that you had three in a row just now, and you haven't really been smoking that much lately. At least that's what Collin said. I'm not sure if you wait until he's gone to smoke or what."

"I smoke when I want," she grumbled, feeling a bit indignant. She was an adult, she didn't have to hide smoking from anybody.

"Just checking," he said lightly, telling her that he wasn't asking to judge or to tell Collin on her. It seemed he was only trying to make conversation, or check on his pack. He hadn't checked up on Melody in a while, she thought he had given up on her a long time ago.

"He'll be here around eight," Embry told her once they got to her porch. She nodded, hurrying inside to get warm.

She didn't know what to do with herself now that she was alone, and surprisingly she felt lonely. At least around the pack there had been noise and people to distract her. Here, there were only empty walls and the mud her boots had trekked in. After cleaning that mess up, she sat on the couch attempting to watch TV. But her mind was too busy worrying and wondering what had happened. The clock on the wall ticked by slowly, and at the end of the day she only stared at the white walls, clutching the arm chairs tightly in her grasp.

She almost didn't hear the front door open quietly, too zoned out to really notice. She slowly glanced to the right and when Collin with his tuffs of snow sitting in his hair entered her vision, she gasped. They stared at each other for a moment before she raced over to him, jumping into his arms and wrapping her legs around his waist. There was nothing said, both of them to immersed in holding onto each other.

"I was so worried about you," Melody said in a muffled voice. Collin only kissed her forehead in response, placing his cheek on top of her head and rocking back and forth. She leaned her head back to stare at him, and he pulled back with a smile, brushing hair out of her face tenderly. She placed both her hands on his cheeks, pulling his face forward so that she could shower kisses all over him. She put one on his nose, followed by both of his cheeks. Then she kissed each eye and his chin before finally getting to his lips.

"Today was horrible," she complained once she had finished her ritual, happy to have gotten rid of that empty feeling she had earlier. "All of the imprints were practically comatose, and then Sue kept complaining about the elders being stubborn mules because they refused to come at first. Ara even burst out that she was pregnant today! She had a mental breakdown after that."

She felt Collin tense in her arms at the last part. She pushed herself back to get a better look at him. His face was stony, as if trying to hide whatever expression was trying to come naturally to his face. Finally he sighed.

"The pack knew she was pregnant."

Melody stared at him. "Ara didn't know that."

"She wouldn't. We don't tell the imprints when we know they're pregnant." He sat down on the couch and she moved her legs so that they were on each side of him instead of around his back, her arms still circled around his neck.

"Why?" she asked curiously.

Collin bit the inside of his cheek, a thoughtful look on his face. "If I tell you this you have to promise to never tell anyone else, okay? Promise me."

Melody agreed quickly, too curious to really care about being sworn to secrecy.

"People smell different when they're pregnant," he began, his head tilted towards the ceiling in thought. "Sometimes their overall scent changes a bit, and the hormones are everywhere. After the third pregnancy, we figure out it was the baby that changed their scents." He paused for a moment, staring at her. "Never repeat this part, okay? It's really important. Lizzy was pregnant before and miscarried. She doesn't know that though, she thinks she had a late period or something. It was after Annabelle was born, and Lizzy still wanted more kids. She was disappointed enough to think it was a false alarm, let alone miscarried. After that we decided to not say anything about being able to detect it."

Melody placed her head on his shoulder, running her hand over his collar bone in thought. She kissed the hollow on his neck before answering, "If that ever happens to us, you won't tell me right?"

He nodded against her and she immediately felt relieved. She wouldn't want to know that either, not that she was planning on getting pregnant. She had been lucky all these years and never got knocked up. She was thorough if anything, even when drunk as she had learned over the years.

His hand reached down for hers, and their fingers laced together before he squeezed.

"I got my birthday present," he said lightly.

She turned to him.

"What present?" Confusion was clear in her voice. His birthday had been months ago.

"The one I wished three years for."

Melody stared at him. "Me?"

She felt a bit narcissistic saying that, but every time he made a wish he always looked at her with such longing.

"I didn't wish for you every year."

Melody could feel her brows raise in surprise. What _did _he wish for then?

"I wished for happiness," he said simply. "Happiness was everything I ever wanted. A big part that was you of course. You make me really happy."

He only ever wanted to be happy? It seemed like such a simple thing to ask for. Happiness. It was different from Melody's wishes, like getting cigarettes and a good job. Melody wanted happiness of course, but she never thought of it that way. Instead of saying outright happiness, she asked for things like money or food or clothing. Things that could keep her happy for a while. But Collin had gone right to the root of it, asking for something most people don't realize they're trying to ask for to begin with.

"I want to be happy too," she said.

But after she said it, she realized she already was.

* * *

This chapter took a while to get out. It was already written, but now I've found with a job and a night class and starting to move my time during the week is not much. My beta was also pretty busy too. Thank you for helping me Nameless-dono! I know it's time consuming at times. Don't forget to review everyone!

Guest Comments:

Laura- Thank you! I try to update soon but I get really busy. .


	22. The Club

Chapter 22: The Club

* * *

Melody had done the unthinkable: convinced Collin to come to a club with her.

It might have had something to do with using her let's say, feminine assets, and convincing him. She also complained that she had gone to pack meetings for forever when she hated them, and he should at least go to the club with her once. The part that he focused on out of that sentence was the fact that she _had_ hated pack gatherings, not that she still _did_.

She also promised Collin not to go to the club as much after this little visit. She had already decided on abstaining from this before the deal, but he didn't know that. Sarah went less too since her new boyfriend didn't really go clubbing. It felt like Melody never got to see Sarah anymore. Between work, the pack, boyfriends, and other activities it was becoming hard to find time. Sarah usually spent the night at Luke's house on her days off. It was weird how they were drifting apart so easily. Melody didn't think they'd ever stop seeing each other. They had been through too much to do that, she only thought that perhaps this was a part of growing up. Melody wasn't sure if she was ready for this step or not, but she had to be. Sarah was already thinking about moving in with Luke, she had mentioned it a few times. Melody wasn't sure what she would when that time came. Sarah had been the center of her life for so long. It was hard to adjust to this change that had been so gradual that she didn't notice till now. Plus, there was no way she would be able to afford rent. While complaining to Collin about it one day, he appeared thoughtful. Based on the knowing look in his eye she figured out Collin would move in with her, which took care of that little problem.

Collin didn't work right now. He didn't have time between herself, pack, and school. But after graduation he was going to work in Sam's carpenter business. Most of the pack either worked for Embry or Sam anyways, only Leah and Tyler had decided to go to college. Paul worked in the culture center teaching kids how to speak Quileute and ways along with his co-worker Mrs. Hokwat, an old lady with knowing eyes and uneven gait. Embry had started up a car shop last year after taking some classes in Port Angeles. Quil joined him and so far it was only the two of them working in an old garage. But it was a start. From what Melody had heard, those two along with Jake used to fix up old cars as a hobby. Now they could do it and get paid for their work, which was always a bonus.

"Where's your twin?" Ryker asked when he saw her. He gave a brief perusal of Collin with a raised brow, before turning back to her.

"She's got a boyfriend now. You know how she is, she gets all caught up in them," Melody laughed, tugging Collin inside the building. Eric and Ryker laughed along with her, stomping their feet to brush away some of the cold.

"You should have put on a longer skirt, it's freezing outside," Collin mumbled, clutching her hand. It was obvious that he was out of his element, staring at the ceiling where the blue lights sat twirling about.

"But I look good," she teased, pulling him over to the bartender's with a giggle.

"Too good." By the look on his face Melody could deduce that he wasn't very happy about that. Melody only rolled her eyes.

"You don't like it?"

"Babe, if you bend over your ass will be on view for the world."

"Then I won't bend over," she said, taking her finger and making little swirls across his chest. He sighed loudly, but allowed her to tug him over to get a drink.

"Who is this?" Anne asked, giving Collin an impressed once over before tossing a bottle in the air to catch it, pouring it into a glass cup.

"Anne, meet Collin. Collin, Anne," Melody introduced easily. "She's my favorite bartender. She does all these cool tricks with the bottles and never gets annoyed when I get drunk and whine about my life problems." She knew Anne had a kid of her own too, Anne had mentioned him a few times. She was in such amazing shape that Melody would have never guessed it. Melody half expected to gain thirty pounds and never lose it when she became pregnant. She would have to talk to Collin about that.

"You'll want to keep ahold of that one," Anne commented with a teasing grin.

"Oh I will," Melody laughed, lacing her arm with his. She couldn't help but notice Collin looked very pleased with the conversation. She gave him a kiss on the cheek before downing a shot. "Are you going to drink?"

He gave her a look, asking her how she was going to accomplish that. She knew Collin had beer before, sometimes the pack gave him a few. It was pretty hard to make a shifter drunk so they didn't see the harm in it. Paul had managed to get tipsy a few times, he was a giggler when he was drunk. Paul barely laughed when sober, so Melody was usually entertained when she witnessed it.

"What would you like?" Anne asked him, cleaning a glass.

"Uh," Collin trailed off, staring at Anne dumbly. It was evident then that he didn't know his alcohol. She thought he would know something with the pack mind and all.

"He wants a Dirty Martini," Melody decided, making the choice for him. The look he gave her told her all she needed to know: he didn't have a clue what that was.

"What is a Dirty Martini? What's the difference between that and a regular one?" he whispered, leaning towards her.

"Put it on my tab," she shouted to Anne before turning to him. "Just drink it." She tipped her head back and shot her drink down in one gulp. Oh, how she loved her vodka.

She glanced over at Collin to see him give the Dirty Martini a dubious look before taking a sip. He seemed to think it was decent based of the look on his face. "He wants a Long Island Ice Tea after that," she told Anne. Anne already knew what to give Melody, so she didn't say anything about what she would like.

The Long Island Collin seemed to enjoy much more, and when he finished it he didn't wait for Melody to tell Anne what he wanted. "Another Long Island Ice Tea," he announced carefully, glancing at Anne.

"Keep them coming?" Anne checked. Collin turned to Melody before nodding, a slight smile on his face.

Melody was such a good example.

She turned him around, giving Collin a sloppy kiss. She could taste the alcohol in their breath as it mingled between them, before pulling away. Collin was downing the alcohol like a pro, even Melody was unable to keep up with him.

She reached over to leave open mouthed kisses on his neck. He turned towards her, his eyes smoldering as he placed his drink down. Collin pulled her in his lap, their lips tasting each other as the smell of alcohol burned her nose.

* * *

She groaned as she woke up that morning, her head throbbing harshly. Why she always put herself through this, she'd never know. She sat in bed attempting to remember what happened last night. She could recall pulling a bit tipsy Collin onto the dance floor, because he would have never done that sober. She could also remember taking more shots than she had in a long time. Sometime between leaving the dance floor and returning to the bar she blacked out. Everything else was vague after that. A soreness in her lower body stopped her perusal, and she opened her eyes with trepidation. Her plain, white ceiling met her eyes, and when she reached under the covers she realized she had no clothes on.

"What the hell have I done," she whispered, covering her mouth feeling terrified. She was with Collin now. This shouldn't happen anymore. A moan coming from the left of her bed made her flinch, and she realized whoever she slept with last night was still with her.

She felt more sober at this moment than she should have been capable of. She couldn't force herself to look who it was, too afraid of who would be there. Why was she so stupid? Why was she always making dumb decisions? How did this always happen to her? All this built up in her and she just wanted to cry. That, or pull her covers over her head and pretend it wasn't happening.

But that wouldn't accomplish anything, because Collin always knew when she slept with someone. Even as buzzed as he was probably feeling now he most likely knew. The pack were just starting to trust her. Brady was right all along to try and keep her at a distance. She wasn't any good for Collin, and she never would be.

After feeling sorry for herself for long enough, she sat up. She almost fell back when the dizzy spell hit her. She forced herself to look to the left, her head almost twitching as she did. Short brown hair met her gaze, the rest was covered by a blanket. She reached, arguing with herself whether it was better to tug the comforter slowly or pull it fast like a band-aide.

She decided on fast.

His face was turned the other way and she stared at the tanned skin. The way his back flexed as he slightly moved, a reaction to the cold suddenly thrown on him. The small ears, and the substantially large hand that clutched the pillow under his head. She didn't have to see his face to know who it was, she had seen it almost every day for the past three years. A sickness welled in her stomach, and she attempted to calm herself before it got any worse.

She took advantage of him, once again.

She somehow always did. She should have known this would happen, maybe a small part of her did. Collin didn't drink, and she had openly allowed him to get as much as he'd like. Melody knew she got grabby when drunk, but allowed herself to take shot after shot anyways. She had used him, just like she always had. Collin shifted, turning towards her as he stretched. He opened his eyes, taking her in with a smile.

It was then she threw up.

* * *

You may be wondering why it took me more than a month to post. A few chapters earlier I said I would not post until I got 4 reviews, and I only got one. Two, if you count irinamp reviewing twice asking people to review so that I would post a chapter. So irinamp, this chapter is for you! And this is a nice little reminder telling other to review also, and that there are six chapters until the finish.

Beta'ed by nameless-dono~


	23. Mistakes Mended

Chapter 23: Mistakes Mended

* * *

Collin POV

* * *

So maybe Collin knew he screwed up.

He wasn't as drunk as Melody thought. Collin was pretty sure it was impossible to make a werewolf drunk. They burned through alcohol too fast. He would admit to being a bit tipsy, but not so much that he couldn't be accounted for the decisions he made.

He loved Melody, he loved her so much that it was ridiculous. But he wouldn't deny that last night he had taken advantage of her. He had been waiting for this moment for three years, and Melody seemed so willing. A part of him knew that she would most likely regret it in the morning, she had put up a "no sex" rule for a reason.

But Collin couldn't help himself. He had been waiting _for three years. _He just didn't have it in him to say no to his drunk, inebriated, little vixen of an imprint.

He didn't stop her when she grinded herself against him, it felt way too good. He allowed himself to just feel instead of think, which was his first mistake. He wasn't compelled to end their activities when they got to Melody's house either.

Not even when he sheathed himself inside of her as deeply as he could and groaned out at just how remarkable she felt did he think that, maybe, this wasn't such a good idea. By then common sense was out the window, and everything was pure instincts.

Now she hadn't spoken to him in three days. She had kicked him out as soon as she was done puking, refusing to even look at him. He sent her texts, left her messages on her voice mail, knocked on her door. Hell, he even begged Sarah to talk to her. He wasn't sure if Sarah ever did, but either way it didn't make Melody break her vow of silence.

He had bought her flowers, hoping this would get her to at least give him a minute of her time. He waited until she got off of work, sitting in front of her house so that no matter what she would have to hear him out.

"I bought you flowers," he offered hesitantly, holding them out to her. She ignored him, acting as if he wasn't even there. He felt like she was always doing this to him, and it wasn't completely his fault.

Or maybe it was. Sometimes the line blurred so much when it came to her that he could never figure it out.

"Melody I'm sorry," he shouted, losing his temper. "What more can I do to make you get that?" He wasn't really sure what he was apologizing anyways. Melody didn't think Collin was sober that night.

He haphazardly pushed the flowers into her arms, forcing her to take them. She glared at him before harshly throwing them on the floor, the petals scattering into the wind. Collin winced, watching as the breeze swept up all the pieces. The hurt quickly turned into anger, fiery and almost boiling under his skin.

"Why is this such a big deal? It never was before. I don't fucking get it. You slept with all those other guys, but suddenly when we have sex it's a big deal?"

Immediately he wished he had never said that, and about half way through his rant he thought of not saying the rest at all. But it was like he had to. He needed to get it off his chest. A very small part of him didn't regret his words. It was true. Melody had sex with people she had known for all of five minutes, but then when she was dating her soul mate who she had known for three years it suddenly made a difference? He wasn't judging her, he just didn't understand. He loved her and she loved him, and that's all that should matter.

Melody appeared frozen, staring at him like she couldn't believe what he just said. Then she looked vulnerable, even delicate, something that Melody barely ever looked. She stared at him with his fragile look in her eyes making him hate himself, still not saying a word, and then she turned her back on him closing the door quietly.

The silence spoke for itself.

* * *

Melody POV

* * *

Melody couldn't stop crying, it was all she ever seemed to do now. Sarah thought she was melodramatic and should get over it. She didn't get why Melody found having sex with Collin to be such a big deal. Melody could barely explain it to herself.

She was willing to have sex with Collin the day she thought he would die, but when Melody thought he would be alright it was different?

She really tried to reason with herself about that. If she was ready then, she should be ready now. The only thing she could come up with was she was more emotional at that time.

She never realized Collin could actually see her the way she truly was. That hit her harder than any hateful word he could ever say.

He had basically called her a whore, and asked why was she being so difficult with him. It had hurt. A lot. Her knowing that was one thing, the pack another, but Collin calling her out on it was something else entirely. It left her bare, raw, and feeling as if a part of her had broken inside. That confidence that she had with him was gone. She knew she wasn't a good person, but he didn't seem to catch onto that no matter what she did.

But now she knew that wasn't true.

He only turned a blind eye to it. She just wanted one person to think she was _good_, and she never realized it until that moment. She couldn't change herself. She didn't think she could become much better than she was now. Behaving as much as she did now was hard, let along anything more.

Why did Collin want to be with her still when he _knew_?

All these years she thought the imprint had clouded the way he saw her, but in reality he saw her just fine. He put it in nicer terms, sure, but the meaning was the same. It echoed in her ears the same way it did when other less savory people called her out on her ways.

She could hear her window opening in the darkness making her freeze in fear. She forced herself to move, hurrying to grab the lamp off of her dresser. But the assailant overpowered her easily.

"Melody, relax. It's me."

Melody simultaneously calmed down and freaked out at the same time. It seemed her body didn't even know what to be anymore, just like her mind.

"Collin, go away."

She pulled the comforter over her, turning her back to him.

"No, I'm not leaving. We're going to talk this out like adults." The bed creaked with his weight, alerting her to his proximity. "I told you I'm not going to let you hide anymore," he whispered.

She clamped her jaw shut, glaring into the darkness. She attempted to snuggled deeper into her sheets, but Collin gently pulled the sheets back.

"I'm sorry for saying that earlier today. I never should have said it."

"But it was true." Melody didn't like how pitiful she sounded, like some type of wounded animal desperate for help. She didn't need help, not like this. "I don't get why you even want to be with me."

"Because I don't care about that," he said, placing his hand on her clothed shoulder. "I only care about you." He paused for a moment, only his breathing could be heard. "Talk to me."

She didn't really want to. She already felt vulnerable enough without verbalizing it. But she also knew this was for the better.

"I used you. Again."

"You didn't use me," he assured her.

She shot up in bed, staring at him plaintively. "But I did!"

"I wasn't drunk."

Her heart almost froze. She rubbed at her chest, as if that would make the lump go away. "I remember. I tasted the alcohol."

He shook his head. "I wasn't drunk, only tipsy. Werewolves can't get drunk. Trust me, Paul tried."

But that meant he had sex with Melody on purpose.

Melody thought this over, turning away from him so that he could not read her face. She wanted to work this out on her own, without Collin hovering or working out the answers for her. She didn't think Collin would do what he just said he did, but then it sort of made sense. He had been waiting for her to say she was ready for years, and that night she just about begged for it based on the blurry and scattered memories she could draw up. Collin never had to test his restraint before, it was always Melody who remained strong.

"Did you really think I wanted to?"

"I wasn't sure," he admitted sheepishly, unwilling to meet her gaze. "But I couldn't help it."

No, Melody thought, he had never been good at controlling himself. She had seen him jerking off more than once on accident. He was very virile from what she had seen and pieced together. It never took much to get him going, and her in a swim suit always did let alone rubbing him in all the right places, probably tearing her clothes off her body and moaning about how much she wanted him.

"Do you remember anything?"

"I remember everything," he answered thickly, his eyes smoldering as they met hers. They seemed to dim a bit, and he said a bit sheepishly. "We had sex almost three times. You kind of fell asleep in the middle of the third one, or passed out. I'm not really sure which."

"Collin it's not okay to have sex with someone that's drunk! You don't know if they really want it or not," she sighed tiredly, biting her lower lip.

An argument was on the tip of his tongue, Melody could tell; but then he exhaled, his shoulders slumping as his eyes refused to meet hers. "You didn't want it?"

Hurt was evident in his tone, making her wince.

"I'm not sure," she stumbled out. "I told you I was confused."

"But you said you were ready to be with me."

"I am, I'm just not sure if I'm ready for that step."

He watched her quietly in the darkness. "When will you know? How will you know?"

Melody groaned, rubbing her eyes with the palms of her hands. Melody didn't even know. She was always so confused when it came to Collin. She loved him, she loved him a lot. She enjoyed their kisses and touches, but was she really ready to go to that next step?

What had stopped her before?

It was the feeling, the sickness that seemed to spread when she thought about having sex with Collin. It was the way she felt like she was taking advantage of him.

She realized she didn't feel that way anymore.

Butterflies fluttered in her stomach at the thought of making love to Collin, not sickness. She definitely knew she wasn't taking advantage of him, especially since he had taking advantage of her in her inebriated state.

She gave a once over to Collin, enjoying how the moon threw shadows over his muscles. He was shirtless despite the fact that there was snow on the ground. She looked into his eyes, his appearing confused as ever, before crawling over to him and wrapping herself around him, molding her lips to his. He let out a gasp, jumping away from her as if burned.

"What the hell are you doing Melody?" he asked breathlessly, his eyes large and illuminated in the light cast by the crescent moon.

She gave him a sultry look, caressing his upper body lightly with an index finger. "Loving you, just like you wanted."

A myriad of emotions passed over his face. Shock, excitement, lust, even a bit of fear. But his lower body had reacted even before his mind had caught up, the bulge in his shorts growing faster than what should be possible and butting against her stomach. Finally his eyes darkened and he flipped them over, giving her a kiss that stole the breath out of her lungs.

"Melody I've been waiting for you to say that for years."

* * *

So I made an extra chapter for you guys! Now it's twenty-nine instead of eight! I'm still working on a smoother ending for it, but there's no doubt it will be done in time.

I also started the long process of writing my next fanfiction. This one will be about Nessie and Jake, and will be a little closer to this fanfic than my other stories. She's not a negative influence or anything, just more raw and human like Melody. It will start off where this story's epilogue ends, and include a lot of the pack kids and be more action packed. It's not strictly a love story either, I'm not even going to categorize it under romance. She will end up with someone at the end though, along with a few others. I have no clue how long it will be yet since I'm only two chapters in, but I'm assuming it will be about 17-18 chapters based on the way my outline looks.

I got a lot of posotive response last chapter. A lot of you guys reviewed, so thank you guys! It always makes me really happy to see reviews! :D

Guest Comments:

Anonymous: I didn't realize how it mirrors Bella and Jacob when it comes to the age gap haha but to be fair their's is four compared to one year. I tried really hard to make it seem like a real relationship so I'm glad you think that! Thank you!

Guest: Melody seems to be very sensitive when it comes to Collin. :P


	24. Breasts on Display

Chapter 24: Breasts on Display

* * *

Emily's house was always bustling with noises and smells, and random splashes of color. Melody usually decided to ignore most things since she'd get overwhelmed otherwise. A miracle did happen, however. It turned out that Annabelle was actually capable of having and keeping friends. Melody didn't think that was possible based on how mean she was to everyone, but as it was Annabelle was at a friend's house today.

Melody was waiting for zombies to start running down the street any minute. The apocalypse had to be upon them.

David had been freaking her out since she got here, staring at her in a way Melody could only figure to be perverted. Collin had glared at him numerous times, but it hadn't really done anything. She had decided to ignore him. If he had something to say he would come out with it eventually. Or maybe not.

"Why is David looking at me like that?" she finally asked. It was making her paranoid.

"I don't know," Collin mumbled, staring wide eyed at her. It was evident that he knew exactly why, he just didn't want to share it. She gave him an unimpressed look and he sighed.

"Okay, maybe last night while we were doing runs I might of momentarily... thought of your boobs." His voice quieted at the last part, staring anxiously at her.

Melody's brows furrowed down in confusion. That's what this was all about? She narrowed her eyes at David, gesturing for him to come over. The look immediately dropped off his face and he appeared nervous, shuffling his feet as he came towards her. She cranked her head up to look at him, a smirk on her face.

"How great did my boobs look?"

Collin choked on his drink, spilling it all over himself. The room quieted a bit making Melody pull her attention away from David, who had given her a lopsided grin at the question. The closest pack brother was Paul. He was outright staring at her, equal parts impressed and shocked. She brought her eyes back to David unphased.

"Amazing," David grinned, making one grow on her own. Collin finally came out of his stupor, snarling at David like some type of rabid dog. She had never heard anyone in the pack growl like that before.

"Oh, relax," she said, throwing a leg on top of Collin's lap to hold him in place and motioning for David to run while he could. She knew she couldn't really stop Collin if he set his mind to it, but hopefully this would be enough. She didn't want to be responsible for any deaths or maimed limbs after all. "He said they were amazing. What more could I ask for?" She smiled at Collin, giving him a peck on the chin. She couldn't quite reach his lips at this angle.

"He saw your boobs," he motioned furiously.

"Yeah, but that kind of goes with the pack mind. Haven't you seen all the other pack girl's boobs?"

Kim passed by when Melody said that and the girl looked completely scandalized, burning red and attempting to form some type of glare on her face. It looked more like an upset puppy though, or maybe a drowned cat.

A potent blush spread across Collin's face and he looked away. "Yeah," he mumbled. "But I don't advertise it."

"Well my boobs are amazing, so I really don't care," she preened, throwing her hair behind her head dramatically. That comment had made her confidence go through the roof. Collin rolled his eyes at her, attempting to hide the small smile growing on his face.

"I won almost $100 because of you," David smiled, digging his hands deep into his pockets to pull out a wad of cash.

Melody cocked an eyebrow. "Why?"

David gave her a suggestive look.

"They bet on everything," Collin snorted. "First dates, football games, babysitting, just about anything. If it comes to someone's mind a bet will be placed on it."

At least that meant that Melody hadn't been singled out. It was almost like an initiation in Melody's eyes. Put that way she didn't mind at all.

* * *

The next day Emily, Kim, and Melody went on a shopping date. The girls had dumped the kids with their dads. From what Melody understood they all shacked up together at Emily's house and let them run free.

Poor kids. Poor wolves.

"Why am I here?" David grumbled unhappily.

"Because you broke the pack code," Kim said snippily, refusing to look at him.

"Plus we needed someone to hold our bags," Emily piped in.

"What pack code?!"

"Oh, you know which one?" Kim glared at him, clearly holding a grudge from yesterday. "What's next? Are you going to comment on _my_ boobs?"

David paled. "Of course not, I would never." He sighed, staring dejectedly towards the ground. "I just want to play video games," he trailed off.

"Well that definitely isn't happening today." Kim's voice went higher near the end, almost breaking.

Melody watched this all quietly. She had always thought Kim was quiet, and she usually was. It seemed that this type of thing was a sore spot for her. Kim must not be happy about everyone knowing all the things she told Jared, along with what went with dating or being imprinted on a Quileute shape shifter.

"It's the pack mind, he can't help what everyone thinks." Melody sounded slightly nervous when she spoke, as if unsure how her words would be received.

"But he could at least pretend," Kim said in a pleading voice, hoping for Melody to understand.

"I only saw your boobs for a few seconds if that helps! Only for as long as it took Collin to realize what he was thinking about!" David lamented, a bit too loudly it seemed. His comment had gathered a few people's attention, and they stared curiously at them.

Kim blushed violently, covering her face with her hand and rushing ahead as if hoping people wouldn't connect her with the three of them.

Emily sighed, rocking the bag she held in her hand back and forth. "Kim is a bit shy. She doesn't like all the attention, and always has had trouble accepting the pack mind. If she didn't love Jared so much it would have been a deal breaker."

Melody guessed she could understand that. Back when she was sweet and innocent and viewed her body as sacred and treasured she would be on the same team as Kim about this. But she had lost that view what felt like a long ago, when she got into drugs and saw how different her reactions to nudity and sex were compared to her new friends. It was casual to them, and all in good fun. Melody adapted, and Sarah even faster than her. She almost felt like she was a different person back then with completely different morals.

She was really.

Naivety and gullibility was not something easily kept in her world. Her old world at least. Sometimes she still forget she had left it, although the memories always lingered. Every now and then she wondered what she would be like if she never came clean, but then would dash those thoughts out of her head. Collin needed her, and she was happier now. It was real happiness, not the smoke and mirrors one she had before. Forgetting you had problems didn't resolve them, and Melody always forgot that back then.

Watching the pack had always amazed her, although she would never admit it out loud.

She didn't realize that innocence could last after reaching the teen years. But then she watched and saw that it could. Melody didn't know if she would rather keep her innocence like some of the pack had or not. Even Seth still had his, and he was a grown man that killed vampires for a living. How could one remain innocent after killing something?

Melody couldn't bring herself to ask. She didn't want them to question that and ruin it, or to realize that once upon a time those creatures weren't the monsters they hunted, but protected. They used to have families and friends, a job and memories they held dear.

It was better for them to not think like that.

Melody thought too much sometimes, but it helped her. It resolved problems that she felt she needed fixing. Melody had always been a thinker, even as a child. A long time ago she remembered watching her mother, trying to figure out what made her mother and father love each other so much when they were clearly so dysfunctional.

After a while she realized that they always forgot about their arguments when they gave each other a certain look, the complaints dying on the tips of their tongues. It was raw and vulnerable, filled with pain and hope and disaster.

It was that look that always rekindled them, and they would continue as if the fight had never started, the broken dishes and harsh words invisible to the two.

Kim was waiting up a little from them, standing awkwardly near a garbage can as they caught up. David refused to meet her gaze. He looked the epitome miserable. Their party of four must appear so happy to outsiders, with half of their members looking as if they wanted to fall off the face of the earth.

"So where to next?" Melody asked brightly, hoping for her optimism to reach the group and spread like some type of malignant disease. She could only fake this energy for so long. Sanguine cheerfulness was not in her repertoire of tricks to pull out of her sleeves.

David stopped walking in front of her as if he were going to run into something, nearly forcing Melody to slam into his back. She placed her hands in front of her to soften the blow. It was really unfair for him to be as muscled as he was, especially considering how he looked before he phased. David had been a reedy boy, gangly and with dark circles under his eyes. Phasing has also cured him of his poor eyesight, one of the few things David had been happy about when he joined the pack.

"David?"

When he didn't say a word, his body tensed and unmoving, Melody inched around him to get a look at his face. He looked horrified, his drink crushed by the fist he had made and dripping all over his fist. He didn't seem to realize it. His brows scrunched together in panic, his eyes understanding as much as Melody was. She followed his gaze to see a girl across the mall. Her clothes were baggy, and she watched as the girl absentmindedly pulled her jacket back up to her shoulder. She had frizzy curls a little past her shoulders and looked at the world as if it were a wonderful place filled with secrets for her to discover.

Melody turned back to David to see him with a greenish tinge to his face.

"Congratulations David! You imprinted! I'm sure you'll make her very happy," Kim said brightly, getting out of the fuck she was in earlier. She continued to speak, as if not realizing the boy before her looked more sickened than pleased.

The unknown girl gave David a smile, before turning around and leaving out one of the exits empty handed and friendless. David looked as if he wasn't sure whether to chase her down or get as far as he could from her.

Self-preservation seemed to win and he dropped what was left of his drink to the floor, the noise echoing loudly in the dome shaped room, before racing the opposite way as quickly as he could not even bothering to look back.

"Well," Emily sighed tiredly, turning towards the two shell shocked girls. "I suppose we should go call Embry."

* * *

This was another almost filler chapter, but there is a bit of character building in it so it's not completely useless. I was also wondering if anyone would be interested in beta'ing the new story I'm working on! Contact me in a PM if you're interested. Don't forget to review!


	25. Mr Sandman

Chapter 25: Mr. Sandman

* * *

Today was a good day, even if no one else knew it. When Melody woke up her hair was almost perfect, which never happens. Usually her hair sat on end, the threads wild and uncontrollable until Melody had run a brush through it a few times. Her toast, which was normally burnt due to her forgetfulness, was perfectly brown and toasty. An odd occurrence in her life. The sun was shining brightly when she went outside despite the snow, a slight breeze that made the weather perfect. Not too hot, not too cold. Just right. She decided then that nothing could ruin her day.

"Melody?"

She glanced up from her paperwork, seeing her boss watching her nervously. "Can I talk to you?"

She swallowed, tapping her pencil on the counter before getting up to follow him into his office.

"How are you today?" She asked in a friendly manner once they got inside.

"Well, I'm well," he answered absentmindedly, sitting down in his chair. He sighed, rubbing at his face tiredly. "I have a question. You turned 21 this year, correct?"

Her fist clenched at her side, the only sign the question unnerved her.

"Yes. I'll be twenty-two in a few months."

He nodded.

"Before you were twenty-one you often drank alcohol, correct?"

"That is my personal life and I don't see how it interferes with work," Melody stated, evading the question.

"Well," he said, fixing some of the papers on his desk into a neat pile. "It has come to my attention that you had been drinking at clubs before you were legal. You also danced in said clubs and performed solicit acts on the people there as well." His face turned a bit pink, not meeting her eyes. "Melody, we're a brand. Our workers are a branch of us, and we can't have people thinking we're that type of company."

"Mr. Wallman, I'm very good at my job. I can-"

"No doubt you are very good at your job, Melody. I've never heard any complaints about you until… recently. But many people can do well at the job you do. We need people who have good reputations, people that the clients will respect."

"And they won't respect me?"

"To be honest, no. Not when you've grinded all over them in some club."

Melody flinched, swallowing thickly. "I take it one of the patients told you that?"

"Yes, and a co-worker. I knew you two didn't get along so I waited to get more information, and then it came," he said serenely.

She stared down at her hands in her lap, blinking rapidly as she tried to keep her tears back. "I'll just go and gather my stuff then," she said softly.

"Yes, I think that is for the best."

Melody hurried out of the office, walking as quickly to her desk as she could to grab her purse.

"Wait, where are you going?" Her co-worker asked startled.

"Leaving and never coming back."

She should have known this job was too good to be true. Her mother had always griped at her about it, saying that one day all the bad things she did would catch up with her. Melody hadn't believed her till now. How was it that no matter how hard she tried she still made bad decisions? Right now Melody just wanted to give up.

"You're home?" Sarah asked startled from the couch, watching her.

Melody stood silently in the hallway, feeling as fragile as porcelain. "Yeah, I got off early."

She wasn't ready to say she was fired yet. She would have to face the music soon, especially when the month ended and she was trying to scrape up enough money for bills and rent.

Sarah nodded, patting the seat next to her. "Let's talk."

Whenever Sarah said they needed to 'talk' it was always serious. Melody didn't move for a moment, she felt too apprehensive; but she forced herself to do so, dropping her purse where she was standing and slowly walking over to Sarah.

"You and Collin are finally together."

Melody nodded.

"Do you think it will stay that way?"

"I hope so," Melody answered, eyes downcast towards the floor. Before, she had always yearned for Collin to one day get his shit together and realize that Melody wasn't good for him. Now she hoped he never realized it at all.

"And I'm with Luke now," Sarah trailed off, a happy smile on her face. She turned towards her. "We both have guys in our life now. It's strange how we always do things together."

It was, Melody could admit that. They both had lost their dads, and both got into drugs and out of them at the same time. Now they both had boyfriends, real boyfriends, and not little toys. It was strange how their lives mirrored each other's. She only hoped that didn't mean Sarah would lose her job soon. It would be worse for Sarah, because her job was a family business and that meant that little bit of her father was gone.

"Do you like Luke?"

"I think so."

Sarah laughed softly, shaking her head. "You can't commit, can you? You can't choose one or the other when it comes to him." She grabbed Melody's hand and squeezed. "I want to move in with Luke."

Melody froze.

"As in you're thinking about it or you have already decided?"

Sarah's hair covered her face, blocking out any hint Melody might of gotten from Sarah's expression.

"I've already decided," Sarah said firmly.

Melody made a startled gasp, pulling her hand away from Sarah as if burned. Sarah flinched, still unwilling to look at Melody.

"Why now?"

"Why not now?"

"Sarah, you barely know him," Melody pleaded with her. "At least wait a little longer. You've barely been together for six months."

Sarah finally brought her head up and Melody could clearly see the irritation in her eyes.

"Well I'm sorry. Not everyone can have a magical romance like you. We all don't have a knight in shining armor that is perfect for them in every way."

Melody stared at her incredulously.

"Are you serious? You know how hard it was for things to finally line up with Collin. Even now I feel like we're still not on track. I worked so hard to love him. You know that! You were there with me the whole time!" Her voice rose at the end, frustration evident in her voice.

"Well not everyone loves like you, Melody. You're all push and pull. You want him and then you don't. Not everyone is like that. _I'm_ not like that," she said, pointing to herself. "I'm not afraid like you are. I give everything and don't hold back. My relationship with Luke might not be all passion like yours is, but it's still a love."

"I never denied you love each other, Sarah! I know you do. I think you guys suit each other well from what I've seen. But I think you should wait. You're jumping into this. And what are you talking about Sarah? I'm not afraid!"

"No," Sarah snorted. "The word you would to use is cautious." Sarah crossed her arms across her chest. "You're afraid of everything Melody! You're always hiding, ever since your dad went away. You never let anyone see the real you, besides me and Collin. Everyone else thinks you're some ice bitch because of that. There's nothing to be afraid of! I know you're not like that and so do you. You hide behind mean words and cigarettes and sex and anything else you can think of."

"I don't know what you're talking about! Sarah, god, why is this suddenly about me? We were talking about you!" Melody shouted incredulously.

"Because it's always been about you!" Sarah burst out, flinging her arms roughly towards her. "I've tried so hard to get other people to see you the way I see you, but you won't let them in. You hate change and taking chances! It's why you don't want to accept Luke! It's why it took three years to finally let yourself love Collin. You didn't hide from him out of moral obligation. Maybe at first, but that stopped being a problem for you two years ago. You hid because you were terrified."

"I don't want to accept Luke because I'm trying to protect you!" Melody denied, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. "I loved Collin before my feelings even started to change! That doesn't even add up!"

"No," Sarah answered in a soft voice. "You're afraid of Luke because you know what he represents. You're afraid because you _know_ he's the one for me and you're not ready for that. You know that means a lot of changes will happen, like moving out and starting a family and not always being stuck to the hip. You don't want to let this go Melody, you don't want to let _us_ go. You're afraid you'll never get it back."

"As for Collin," Sarah continued. "You loved him, yes. But only enough to make him happy. It was enough that if he changed his mind you wouldn't be left raw. You've been protecting yourself this whole time and you didn't even know it." A soft ironic laugh left Sarah's throat, and something akin to amusement danced across her face. Sarah took a step closer, brushing the hair out of Melody's face with a soft smile. "I've been your rock for so long Mel. It's hard to remember what I was like before all this. You're a part of me, and I'm a part of you. That will never change. You don't have to be afraid that I'll leave you. I'll always be here for you. We're changing Melody, yes, but you don't have to be afraid. This is natural."

"But it's not natural," Melody answered softly, tears blurring her vision as the words finally hit home. "We promised to be together forever. To never leave each other." She didn't know how Sarah knew these things about her. Hell, she didn't even realize all this until today. Now Melody understood exactly why she didn't like Luke; because the thought of losing Sarah filled her with so much fear that she physically felt sick. Sarah was the only person she had when she was growing up. She was the only one Melody could depend on, and the only one who didn't break her promises.

'Well one of us had to leave first. I always thought it would be you once you met Collin, but it was me. I should have known."

"What about our cats though? We were supposed to grow old together and, and-" Melody sniffled, wiping her tears from her eyes. Her hands came back smeared with black. She figured she looked something like a panda at this point.

"We were what, nine then? Kids say crazy things all the time."

Melody shook her head in denial, not wanting to hear anymore of the truth's coming out of Sarah's mouth. Melody turned abruptly, grabbing her purse and walking out the door.

"You can't run from this, Melody!" Sarah shouted from the door. "You always try to run, but it's time to face your fears. It's okay for change to happen, it's even good for you. You're just afraid right now, and that's okay."

Melody slammed her door closed and started her car, reversing out of the driveway in a trail of dust. Yeah, she thought bitterly. The tense feeling in her body and her trembling hands felt so healthy. She reached a shaky hand down into her purse, searching for her fix it all drug. When she finally got her hand stable enough to light the cigarette she took a quick drag, glancing in the rear view mirror. She wanted to be away from all this, pretending that it never happened and go back to this morning when no one was hurting. She parted her lips, taking a trembling breath in.

_"Oh Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream…."_

Yeah, then she could wake up and none of this would have happened, and it all would have just been a dream.

* * *

There's a little more action in these last chapters. Hopefully you all enjoy it, especially the next chapter. :)

Beta'ed by Nameless-dono


	26. Ameline

Chapter 26: Ameline

* * *

She avoided Sarah after that. She didn't want to hear what Sarah had to say. Melody didn't want to learn anything else about herself either. It may have been only part of the truth that was revealed about herself, but it was more than Melody knew before. It was pretty easy to avoid Sarah so far, but that might have been because Sarah was letting her have some space. Melody did tell Collin she lost her job, although he didn't press about why when he saw how stressed out she looked when he asked about it.

Since then she had been searching for a new one. It had been a week so far and no luck. Pretty soon she would have to ask her mom if it would be alright to move back in. She really didn't want to, but what choice did she have?

"I've applied everywhere Collin," Melody mumbled softly. She stared out the windows, watching the reflection of the trees on the glass from Collin's side. "I don't know what to do?" she said, her voice betraying her inner turmoil.

Collin pulled the car on the side of the road, dragging her into his arms where she promptly burst into tears.

"It's going to be okay," he whispered, kissing her forehead. "You'll find a new job. Everything will be fine."

"I can't even use my last job as a reference! Now I have gaps in my work history and have a bad reputation and-"

"A bad reputation?"

Melody quieted.

"Yes," she answered softly. "That's why I got fired."

"Because of a reputation?" he asked incredulously, pulling back to look at her.

"That, and some of the patients saw me… at the club."

They both went quiet.

Melody sighed, leaning her head on his chest and squeezing her eyes shut.

"When are you going to tell Sarah?"

"Never," she bit out angrily. Sarah would have a new life now, she thought bitterly. Sarah would get married and have sweet little Luke's and be a housewife. Then Melody would be left behind and all she would have is Collin. At this moment she really hated Sarah, because it felt like she was abandoning her.

"I want to be with you," she said suddenly.

His hand stopped rubbing her back for a moment, before doing as before. "I want to be with you too," he responded easily.

She pulled away from him, watching his face. "I want to be with you forever."

A smile broke out on his face and he ran a thumb down her jaw before leaving a kiss on the tip of her chin. "I want to be with you forever too."

Melody looked into his eyes, wrapping her arms around his neck before placing a single kiss on his lips. It led to another as it usually did.

Melody always lost herself when she kissed Collin. Hands carefully caressing her spine, the scent of Collin's skin right next to hers. Silky strands of hair running through her hands and the pitter patter of butterflies in her stomach. She tended to forget everything else when what was right in front of her was so distracting.

"We need to get going if we're going to get to that job interview of yours in time," he said gruffly, pulling away and sliding her back into her seat.

Melody nodded, not trusting her voice to be able to answer him. Collin started the car, glancing over to her to say something but froze, squinting into the forest.

She wasn't exactly sure what happened. She was sitting in the car, watching Collin curiously. The next thing she knew pain lacerated her upper shoulder and the side of her hip burned. The sound of splintering metal filled the air and she moaned, staring up into the sky trying to figure out exactly how she got there.

"Collin?" she called out, her voice cracking.

Someone chuckled a response, the sound so perfect and beautiful that she had to see who it was. She forced her head up, rapidly opening and closing her eyes as she adjusted. The first thing she saw was her car completely flipped over, the metal smashed and glass everywhere. But next to the car was a woman, her cornflower hair blowing in the wind as she stood eerily still. Her face looked as if made of marble, smooth and perfect. Her eyes were shocking, a blood red that Melody had never witnessed before. They must be contacts, she thought to herself.

"Your mate saved you," the unknown woman said finally, her voice just as flawless as everything else on her. Melody's head felt so foggy. She was so confused, and couldn't piece together what was going on.

Melody blinked and suddenly the woman was in front of her, as if by magic.

"How did you do that?" Melody asked slurring, trying to keep her head held up. She gave up, dropping her head to the ground and closing her eyes. Her mate saved her? What sense did that…

Collin.

She finally understood what she should have caught onto all along. This wasn't just a woman. It was the reason why Collin had phased at thirteen. Why they were imprinted and the reason Collin stayed up almost every night to run the woods.

This woman was a vampire.

"What did you do to him?" Melody finally got out, clawing at the ground as she attempted to put more space between them.

The vampire merely watched Melody squirm, her face impassive. "I'm here to get revenge on my mate and coven. Your disgusting little animals killed them. I must have blood for blood, and you will do perfectly. You smell just like that cretin, I know you are his. Soon he will wake up, and you will not be here. You will be dead, and he shall be forced to feel what it is like to lose everything he has like I have. It's nothing… personal."

Melody's head throbbed, and it took a moment for her to understand what had been said. She stared into the creatures eyes, but she couldn't feel fear. Why did the vampire look so human? She said that Melody was the pitiful one, but when the creatures lip trembled so much and her jaw stayed clenched in an attempt to control her emotions, Melody just couldn't help but feel like the vamp was. If vampires could cry, tears would have been etched all across her cheeks. Melody could tell this woman was barely holding it together.

"That would not help you. You would still hurt." It hurt to think, and Melody had to carefully string her words together.

The vampire winced, turning away from her. "I must take my revenge."

"What is your... name?"

The creature pulled its gaze back to her, kneeling down in front of Melody hesitantly and watching her with curiosity. "Ameline."

Ameline's mouth opened to say something else, but when she went to speak it was like she was taken by the wind. Melody's eyes caught a grey blur, and then a wretched scream filled the air as the sound of granite smashing joined it. All too soon the world was quiet.

"Melody! Are you okay! Melody!" Brady waved his hand in front of her face, but she continued to stare blankly ahead. "Shit," he muttered. "Melody, listen. Where is Collin? He was supposed to be with you."

Her eyes drifted to the totaled car for a moment, before going back to staring at the trees. It was quite soothing, the trees seemed to stretch as the wind pelted them. They curved to the left, silent arcs in the air without a care in the world. How nice it would be to join them.

More voices began to speak, but Melody didn't care to discern them.

"Collin… car… wake up," she heard.

"Shock… unmoving."

A hand gripped her arm and forcefully pulled her up, pulling an agonized scream out of her. The fiery pain dancing across her arm and shoulder sobered her.

"Collin, someone said that Collin was under there," she blinked, her right arm carefully protecting her left shoulder. "He's not in there, he can't be."

Embry stepped in front of her, his expression unreadable. "Get her out of here."

Hands immediately grabbed her and she yelped.

"Where are you hurt?" she heard Seth ask.

"My shoulder and my hip. Never mind that, where is Collin?"

Seth didn't respond, and neither did David who was right next to her.

She looked forward, attempting to assimilate this into her rattled brain. They wouldn't answer her. That meant it was bad. Collin couldn't have been in that car. It was smashed so flat. Collin would have gotten out. He was faster than Melody, quicker and stronger too. If anything, Melody would have been in that car.

But Collin would have never allowed that.

Her mind went back to those few vital seconds before she landed outside. How Collin had quieted and stared suspiciously into the forest.

"He's dead," she said suddenly, clawing at her throat.

"He's not dead Melody, he's-"

"Don't lie to me," she screeched hysterically, giant tears rolling down her face. "He's dead. He's gone."

She screamed as loud as she could, covering her ears as she blocked them out. Collin wasn't here anymore, he wouldn't be the one to help put her back together when she was falling part.

"Melody!" Brady shouted, grabbing her face. "He's here. He's alive."

"No, he's not!" She attempted to hit him, but Brady dodged each and every slap, kick, and punch. She floundered for a few more seconds before collapsing on the ground, sobs wracking her body.

It hurt so much. She never thought about what it would be like to not have Collin in her life. It seemed so impossible. Before, she wished that he would romantically love someone other than her, but she still would have expected him in her life. She began realizing how everything in her life always pointed to Collin. She did rehab for Collin, she stopped doing drugs for Collin. She got a job because it was part of her clean act that was endorsed by Collin. She stopped clubbing because of Collin.

She loved Collin, so much more than she ever realized.

Someone dragged her to the ground, holding her tightly to them until she finally was able to focus her eyes.

"Melody, he's alive. I promise he's alive."

"The car," she sobbed out.

"He was under there. He'll probably wake up any minute now. Embry wanted you out of there because it's not going to be fun when he wakes up."

Brady was lying. He had to be lying.

A pained cry echoed through the forest and she froze, her head naturally tilting towards where the sound came from. Hope gleamed in her eyes, and she turned towards Brady again.

"He's going to be okay," he said gently. He picked her up off the ground and Melody numbly followed, allowing herself to be dragged to her house.

"Seth is going to stay here and watch you, okay?"

Melody didn't even seem to register his words. She sat staring at the wall blankly, her arms wrapped around her waist. A hand pried at her chin, forcing her to look up. Brady watched her worried, and when he saw he had her attention, he let her go.

"We're going to take care of everything. I promise. Collin will be fine, he's healing as we speak. He should be able to stop by later on tonight, okay?"

Melody turned away, unwilling to believe his words. She heard him sigh tiredly and walk across the room. "Seth is coming soon, okay? In just a few minutes. If you need anything tell him."

And then Melody was alone.

* * *

Sorry for such a long wait! I've had this huge essay due and between that and school I couldn't find time to edit or write. Thanks to Nameless-dono again for beta'ing my story, and to all my reader and reviewers!


	27. Light (in the darkness)

Chapter 27: Light (in the darkness)

* * *

Melody couldn't bring herself to care about anything anymore. A few minutes after Brady left, Seth came in. He spoke nonstop, about things that didn't even matter to begin with. He just babbled, and after a while she couldn't help but think this was for her benefit. Seth was a talker, but never this much.

The phone rang, the noise echoing off the white walls loudly in her ears. She fidgeted for a moment, debating whether or not to answer. Seth decided for her.

"This is the Tasher and Leslie residence. What can I help you with?" he said happily. Melody watched him from the corner of her eyes. His cheery demeanor seemed to slide off his face until only a thin line ran the expanse of his mouth.

"It's your mom," he muttered, handing her the phone reluctantly.

Melody stared at Seth, unsure whether or not to believe him. Her mother only called her once in a blue moon. Melody couldn't even remember the last time she had talked to the woman.

"Melody, how have you been?" her mother greeted as soon as Melody took the phone. She didn't wait for an answer. "The other day I realized I never called to tell you I got married. I did it the other month, isn't it wonderful!"

Melody found herself unable to speak. Her mother had never done _that_ before. She didn't know what to think about it.

"Of course, I had to make a few changes. Snicklefritz had to go. I-"

"Wait a minute," Melody burst, gathering her thoughts. "You got rid of the _cat_?" Melody thought her mother loved that cat. Her mom always seemed to dote on it. She gave more attention to that creature than her own daughter.

"Well Donny doesn't like cats," she said softly. "Marriage is all about making changes. It's a new beginning and all!"

"What did you do with him?"

"Oh," she answered with an air of nonchalance. "We gave him to the pound."

She wanted to tell her mother that was a sick thing to do. They would have killed him. Snicklefritz would be considered too old to adopt out to another family. He had only been a kitten when Melody had left, but was very sweet. Melody used to play with him, rolling a small ball across the wooden floors. The kitten would pounce on it energetically, throwing it up in the air and shoving it into dark places waiting for Melody to get it back out for him.

Melody closed her eyes, rubbing her forehead with a hand as she tried to hold back tears. Well when it rained it poured, they always said, and this was a monsoon.

"Are you happy?" Melody finally asked.

"Oh yes, Donny is a good man. I think I've finally found my other half."

Melody knew Donny. He lived on the reservation, and was probably ten years older than her mother. He had long, greasy hair and a dark expression on his face. Melody didn't think anyone was meant for that man.

"As long as you're happy," Melody sighed.

"Well I am. I'm gonna go now. I just wanted to tell you about getting married and all. Buh-bye!"

The dial tone filled the air and she blinked. Melody pulled the phone from her ear in incomprehension, before placing it on the table beside her numbly.

After a moment's pause, Seth started his rambling again. She forced herself to pay attention, to try to ground herself to something.

"… because you know, you were there. David is still a mess though. He found that girl again, the one he imprinted on. He watches her all the time but won't go up to her. Every time he tries to he starts to feel sick. We don't know what to do about Michael. He's… twisted, you see? His mind… no one likes to be shifted with him because his thoughts aren't very good. They're dark. I think we've been lucky to get such good pack members in the past. They're all good people. But there's something wrong with Michael. He _enjoys_ hurting people. He dreams about pulling animals apart and things like that. We think he raped someone once, but we're not sure. We can't tell, and Embry doesn't want to know the answer so he won't alpha command him. Everything is all messed up right now, as you can imagine. Then _this_ happens? We just don't-"

"What happened?" Melody interrupted, her face strickened.

"Happened when?"

"At the car?" she asked, her voice becoming smaller. "What happened? I couldn't see it. Everything happened so fast."

Seth stared at her unsure, before letting out a loud sigh. "Collin pushed you out of the car before the vamp could crush it. He got, um, stuck under there. He passed out for a bit."

"Who was that vampire? What was she taking about? She kept saying blood for blood."

Seth winced, the motion jarring his whole body. His eyes refused to meet hers. "We killed a few vamps a few weeks ago, remember? It was when we had you all barricaded in that house. We managed to kill all but one. We thought she wouldn't come back. Our patrols started going back to normal, and that was when she attacked. Collin killed her mate. You smell like Collin, a lot like him actually. You're around him a lot. She wanted you dead."

"Her name was Ameline," Melody said suddenly.

His face finally turned to hers, shocked. "She told you her name?"

"Yes, we were talking when you came," she said softly. She would not say how human she looked, or how much pain was in her eyes. She would not say anything at all. The guys would not understand. She barely understood. "She hurt Collin." She hadn't realized this before. Her thoughts seemed to be connecting in bits and pieces.

"Yes."

She paused.

"How badly?"

"He only broke a few things. He'll be fine. He's healing as we speak."

_He only broke a few things?_

Melody began to cry all over again. This was all her fault. If she wasn't so stupid she would never have lost her job, and they never would have been job hunting in the first place.

"Aww, don't cry Melody! He's going to be fine. Us shifter's are tough! You'll see him later tonight."

Nothing Seth said to her could make her calm down. Finally he gave up, going into the bathroom and coming out with a pill and a cup of water.

"I know this really isn't a solution but on the bright side when you wake up Collin will be here." He stared at her hopefully, handing the pill to her. She took it without a second thought. Drowsiness hit her quickly, and the last thing she could remember was the ceiling as Seth picked her up in his arms.

When she woke up, it took her a moment to orient herself. What felt like a furnace was next to her. She could make out soft breaths coming from it.

She immediately sat up and turned to him, looking over him with eager and trepid eyes. His brows were scrunched as he slept, showing slight signs of pain. She rubbed her thumb against his cheek, her eyes filling with tears. She had cried more in the past twenty-four hours than she had her entire life.

"Melody?" Collin murmured sleepily, struggling to pry his eyes open. He did with much difficulty, his gaze giving her a worried perusal. "You're okay, right? You weren't bleeding or anything? I don't smell any blood on you." He took in a whiff of air, as if double checking to make sure his statement was true.

"No!" she hurried out, desperate to reassure him. "I'm fine." She stared down at the blanket nervously, afraid to touch him out of fear that she would hurt him. "Are you?"

"Nothing another twenty-four hours wouldn't heal," he assured her.

She let out a breath she wasn't aware of holding, feeling as if a weight had been lifted off her chest.

"They didn't tell me anything. They said that you were hurt, that you had _broken_ things. Is… everything back to normal?"

"For the most part."

She gave him an inquisitive look, nibbling on her bottom lip.

"I, um, broke my leg and a few ribs." He hesitated for a moment, before adding, "I cracked my skull too. But don't worry! Everything is basically healed over. I'm mostly sore now, although my leg still needs some more healing. It broke," he paused, searching for the best word and then giving up. "Badly."

Immediately she pulled back the covers, crawling down to his legs. She tilted her head to the side, frowning. They both looked fine. A closer glance revealed that a part of his shin was a shade darker than his normal skin tone. She touched the spot, pulling a wince out of him.

"A piece of metal kind of went through my leg. It broke my shin in two," he said as an explanation.

She took a carefully, measured breath, curling up beside him being mindful not to jolt him. She could only imagine how bad it was for him to still be hurting. The blood, how the bone probably protruded out from his skin. No wonder Embry told her to get out of there. If she had seen him dragged out of the car in that state, she would have completely lost it.

"I love you," she said softly, her fingers caressing his side carefully. He had never been ticklish, much to her ire. She had no way at getting back at him for the small things he did that annoyed her, like attempt to get her attention as she watched her poker games. It was a very serious business, and she hated being dragged away from it, but sometimes Collin wouldn't take no for an answer.

"I love you too," he murmured, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. She couldn't help the wince her body automatically did. Her arm and shoulder were still sore from yesterday. Now that she thought about it, her hips hurt too.

She pushed herself closer, breathing him in. That didn't matter. They were both alive and well.

"What?" he asked immediately. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

If she told him Collin would blame himself. But he had no choice but to do what he had done. She would not be alive otherwise. There was no sense letting him beat himself up about it. They were only bruises.

"Bullshit," he said strongly, his hands doing a quick perusal to gather all her cuts and bruises. "When I pushed you out of the car, did I…" his voice trailed off, as did his hand.

"No, you didn't."

"Then how else did you get hurt? You didn't have that yesterday. Let me see."

"I did it to myself," she hedged, trying to force his questioning hand away. But Collin was a brick wall. Nothing could stop him if he really wanted something, except another werewolf, or perhaps a vampire.

"Melody, I'm not stupid," he said with a glare, carefully peeling her shirt back. He visibly flinched when her shoulder was revealed. Melody hadn't even seen it herself. She awkwardly attempted to look down at the spot herself. If she weren't carefully controlling her face she would have winced too. Her whole right shoulder was a purplish-black, with the center being green. The spot went partly down her breast, and to the middle half of her upper arm. She didn't even want to see what her hip looked like. She ran a hand through her hair, tensing as a pain suddenly assailed her. A second perusal revealed a large bump on the back of her head.

"It's worse than it looks."

Collin's face was already filled with regret. He looked frightened, as if afraid to touch her. She rolled her eyes, grabbing his hand and placing it on her thigh. She kept her hand on his, making sure he didn't try to get away.

"Well it wasn't like I was _impaled_. You saved me, I'm alive because of you."

"If you hadn't met me it would have never happened to begin with." It was as if an invisible cocoon was wrapping around him, attempting to pull away from her and harden himself against her.

"You stop that right now," she hissed. "You don't get to pout because I couldn't stay in some type of pristine condition. Shit happens Collin. It's life. I'm fine. You're fine. There no sense on bemoaning what happened. We're both okay."

"But you're hurt," he said, his voice trembling. His face became a light green under his skin and he appeared faint.

"Yeah, well if we ever have a kid it will hurt worse than this."

That seemed to wake him up.

He floundered, his mouth opening and closing as he struggled to find something to say. Melody took this time to go back to snuggling against him, welcoming his heat.

"We survived to live another day, that's all that matters."

"I want you to go to the doctors, just to make sure that nothing is wrong."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," she grumbled. Anything to get him to calm down.

They held each other loosely in each other's arms. She wasn't sure how long they stayed that way. Time didn't seem to matter anymore. Soon enough her thoughts drifted to other things, like how Sarah was leaving her. Melody could safely say that this past month was the shittiest one in her life. Not only was Sarah moving out, but Melody had lost her job. On top of that now this had happened? Fate seemed to want to throw all the worst cards at her in this time of her life.

But Collin was still here.

He was her rock now, what held her down so she did not lose her way. She knew he would always be there for her. Even when she lost her beauty to age, he would love her. Not even gaining two hundred pounds would make him leave. He was here to stay. If Melody hadn't learned that by now she never would. Sarah was leaving, her father might as well be dead, and her mother was in her own little world.

But Collin, he would never abandon her; and it had taken almost four years for Melody to realize it.

She was used to stumbled encounters hidden by the night sky, but Collin was light. Beautiful and more innocent than she even had the right to even look upon.

But she did have the right, because she was his and he was hers.

* * *

Two more chapters to go! As always, thanks to Nameless-dono for beta'ing my story! You're awesome! Thanks to me readers and reviewers too! I know this isn't a very conventional story.

Guest Comments:

Guest: Haha baby steps! I think if in that moment Collin had asked her she would have said yes, but backed out before it actually happened.


	28. Disagreements

Chapter 28: Disagreements

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One Month Later

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Collin POV

* * *

Collin now knew his favorite spot on Melody. Down, down, down, below her hip and on her upper thigh. He discovered it last night, the moon's rays ghosting into the room to reveal the beauty mark upon it. He'd never noticed it before, even though he had seen her god knows how many times in a bathing suit throughout the years. It was slightly too high to be seen by any shorts she wore, an inch or two above the bottom of them sitting on her side out of view. He leaned down to kiss the spot, closing his eyes as he did and opening them when Melody let out a short laugh.

"What are you doing?" Melody asked with a giggle, running her fingers through his hair.

He grinned. "Loving you."

"Well then, continue on." She smiled down at him, and he realized it was the look he had been searching for on her face for the past four years. It was love and happiness, mixed with desire and wistfulness. It was falling in love, little by little, and not in any type of organized manner at all.

It was his Melody, who was finally his to cherish and be with for the rest of his life.

Melody let out a sigh, pulling his attention out of his thoughts and to her. She was staring at the ceiling with an unreadable expression.

He moved back up to her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "What's wrong?"

She licked her bottom lip, a look of thought on her face. "What's going to happen with Michael?"

Collin groaned, rubbing his head tiredly with his hand. Michael certainly wasn't _his_ problem. If anything, he was Embry's. Embry was the alpha after all.

"Don't worry about that," he mumbled, clutching her tightly to his chest.

She turned towards him, her eyes ghosting over his face. "But I am. He's only a kid. You guys hate him."

"No, he's not just a kid. He's twisted. His head is all messed up and he's got issues. You don't know, and I never want you to. His thoughts shouldn't be shared."

"Maybe he just needs someone to love him," she whispered. Normally Melody wouldn't involve herself in pack matters like this, but she couldn't help it. Watching how the pack interacted with Michael was like going back three years ago to the way the pack interacted with her. Except it was worse, if that was at all possible. Half of the pack seemed to abhor him, their eyes burning holes of hatred into his forehead. The one's with imprints were barely allowed to see a glimpse of the new pack member.

"Love isn't going to fix him," Collin snorted.

"You wouldn't even try?"

"He's got parents. They care."

"Collin, I've seen how they interact with him. They're more afraid of him than anything. They only stick around because they're his parents, out of duty. That's the only thing that keeps them around."

"They're still there."

"Maybe he just needs someone that isn't afraid of him," she said, changing tactics.

"And you expect that to be you?"

She quieted, her eyes not quite meeting his. "He doesn't have a place to live anymore. His parents kicked him out after they found out about him being a werewolf."

"That was his fault, by the way. He told them about being a wolf before Embry could think to alpha command him not to tell." He sighed, rubbing a hand through his already tussled hair. "They'll change their mind."

Melody was almost a hundred percent positive that Michael's parents wouldn't. They still visited with him, and they gave him some money to get by, but that was it.

"He should move in here."

The words burst from her lips, finally getting out of the prison she had carefully enclosed them in.

"No." His face turned from shocked to horrified. He pulled back the covers, reaching for his pants. Melody sighed, dropping the sheet that was covering her and hurrying to find her clothes.

"But he needs somewhere to live. No one will take him in."

He turned around, glaring at her. "Since when have you been a patronage for the poor and needy?"

"Not the poor and needy, him. Besides, his parents said they'll give whoever takes him room and board."

"I graduate in a week. I can move in with you then," he shrugged off.

Melody grumbled under her breath, shoving her arms through her shirt holes.

"I can make my own decisions Collin!" she shouted, glaring at him down the hall. He paused for a moment, before turning around on his heels and marching back to her, a furious expression on his face.

"I am _not_ allowing you to do that."

"I'm not a slave," she said defiantly. "I don't just sit here all day and wonder how I can cater to all your whims."

"No, you definitely don't. But you're going to listen to me about this."

Melody froze, watching as he turned his back to her and walked down the hall. She watched him for a moment in stunned silence, before quickly grabbing her shorts off the ground and tugging them over her hips.

"That's not fair!"

"It is to you! It's for your own good!"

"What? No it's not. Collin, I'm an adult. I can do whatever I want. You can't make all my decisions for me."

"I definitely do not make all your decisions for you, but I'm not allowing you to do this. You don't know him like I do."

But she did. She knew him better than Collin realized. She knew Michael from the desolate look that would sometimes cross his eyes, only to be shoved back into a corner as if it never happened and he didn't feel that way at all. She knew him from his tense posture, the hesitant way he walked among the pack as if he understood that yes, the pack really did hate him and there was nothing to do about it. She knew him from the way he always sat alone, his eyes watching everyone as if hoping for just one of them to notice exactly how lonely he was.

Michael was her; he was a Melody that had never met Sarah.

At least that was what Melody believed. Without Sarah, Melody would have either hardened herself like Michael did, or would have given up and ended her life. She understood him better than his own pack did, despite the link they all shared. Sure, Melody didn't understand the darkness she knew that lurked in his eyes, Sarah never allowed her to get that bad, but she did think she could help him and that he wasn't as dangerous as the pack made him out to be.

"He needs someone Collin," she said in a wobbly tone. "He's all alone, he needs someone."

"He's always with people."

"Have you never heard of being alone in a crowd of people?"

"Since when have you ever been philosophical Melody?"

"I'm not being philosophical!" she said, finally losing her temper. "I'm telling you the truth. Make what you want out of it."

She watched as his knuckles turned white, his posture still tense. "I don't trust him around you Melody. He could hurt you."

"He wouldn't hurt me, not if I don't give him a reason to."

"And what, pray tell, do you think would count as a reason?"

"Hurting him. I don't plan on doing that."

He turned his head towards her, his face incredulous. "Melody, you don't have such a great track record when it comes to that," he said gruffly.

For a moment his words felt like stones in her chest, but then she forced herself to relax.

"I know, I know! But trust me, I won't do anything like that. I want to help him. He just needs someone to listen and be there for him. That's all he wants."

He turned towards her, crossing his arms stubbornly and giving her an unreadable expression. "And how do you know what he wants?"

Melody didn't know how to answer him, so she stared at the floor and nibbled on her bottom lip.

"Just let me try," she finally said.

He didn't say anything at first, letting them stew in the silence that sat between them.

"I hope you know what you're doing," he said softly before walking out the door.

Melody hoped she knew too. It was about time she stopped hurting people, and there was no time like today.

* * *

I debated whether or not to put this chapter in, because that last chapter could have wrapped it up and then an epilogue would have been fine. But I figured why not, and decided to tie up a few more unanswered questions because I highly doubted it would be explained in any of my other future stories. This chapter still left some questions too, but there was more explaining. The only imprint going on at this moment in time would be Daniel's, and I do not plan on writing an imprint story for him..

In the future I do plan on writing about Jake, Sam, and Leah's mates. I already started Nessie's story, but I'm also writing a HP fanfic so I will not be able to pop up chapters as quickly as before.


	29. Epilogue- 14 Years Later

Chapter 29: Epilogue- 14 Years Later

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Twelve year old Susanna Littlesea stared down at her nails, glancing back and forth between the dark green pointer finger and bright pink color on her index finger. They were stark contrasts between one another, yet Suzy still could not decide which one she liked more. Maybe she could add some gold glitter, or even some black stripes, to the green. She might place a diamond in the center of the pink one, or use some decorative white lace nail art on it. So many possibilities.

"You have no life," her younger brother Kevin snorted, rolling his eyes at her as he drank straight out of the milk carton. He burped loudly, a white mustache on his face, before shoving the drink back in the fridge.

"And you're a disgusting little toad," she responded with narrowed eyes. How they were related, Susanna would never know. It seemed both of them pulled from a different gene pool.

"Now, now, be nice to each other," their mother declared calmly from the doorway, opening the oven to check on the food.

"I know we're supposed to be family and all, but can't we trade him for Annabelle? At least Annabelle is fun," Susanna pouted.

To Susanna, Annabelle was practically a celebrity. Annabelle knew so many beauty trips, and she almost always managed to get what she wanted between her father and boyfriend Samuel, who happened to have imprinted on her. Annabelle was Suzy's muse, her beam of light in the darkness of this fashion-less drab town. Only her mother, Annabelle, and Suzy herself had any type of fashion sense; and her mother's seemed to be getting worse with age.

"Oh please," her brother snorted loudly. "As if I want you for a sister anyways. You're so embarrassing."

"Take it back!" she screeched, stomping her foot.

"Both of you calm down," their mother hissed, losing her temper. "I don't want to hear anymore about this."

"But mom!" Kevin whined. "She always-"

"I _don't_ care."

They both knew that was the end of it, because if they pushed any further they were likely to be grounded for a week. Susanna couldn't get grounded. She had plans. On Monday, she was going to a movie with Annabelle and Jordyn, the latter of the two was back from college and visiting. Susanna wished she could get a spring break like Jordyn, but they didn't do those at La Push. She planned on bragging about hanging with Annabelle and Jordyn to Kevin, because he could never get older people to hang out with him and that seemed to annoy him. On Tuesday, she was going to Aunt Kim and Uncle Jared's house to have Gareth give her one on one study time. Of course, Gareth didn't know that she made herself struggle on purpose, but Gareth was a genius when it came to science and loved to teach people. He also didn't know she had a crush on him. Back when she was young and stupid she had liked his twin Will, but thankfully she had grown out of that phase. Will was a jerk anyways.

On Wednesday, her stupid family had game/TV/whatever night. They had to spend time with each other. It was completely dumb in Susanna's opinion. Kevin ruined it all the time anyways, and half the time her youngest sister Lanna, who was only four, could never figure out how to correctly play a game. It was annoying. Super annoying. Especially when Lanna thought she won when really she had cheated to win.

On Thursday, she had nothing planned, but Friday was a girl's night. She was going to her best friend Emilia's house to sleep over. Sometimes Anna and Kaida came too, but those two weren't pack girls so they never could share as many secrets.

So you see, Susanna just _couldn't_ get grounded. She had her life to live.

"Daddy!" she heard Lanna and Eric, her other little brother, shout. Susanna rolled her eyes. She was too old to race to her father like a little kid. She was practically an adult at twelve.

"Mel, how was your day?" her father whispered into her mother's ear once he got away from her younger siblings, rubbing his nose against her neck. Susanna's own nose wrinkled in distaste. She hated when her parents were all lovey-dovey.

"Besides terror one and two, everything was fine," she said, making eyes at Kevin and Susanna and singling them out.

"Mom, don't group me in the same category as him," Susanna complained in a dramatic voice, a bit of a whine working its way up out of her throat.

"Like I want to be related to you either," Kevin grumbled, glaring mutinously at her.

Susanna sniffed, going back to her nails.

"Mommy, why didn't you want to have kids?" Lanna asked randomly, nibbling on a piece of candy she had found. Lanna had to have found it somewhere gross, because Susanna knew for a fact there was no chocolate in this house. She had searched _everywhere_.

"Who did you hear that from?" Melody asked.

"Aunt Emily and Aunt Kim were talking about it the other day."

Their mother hesitated for a moment. "It's not that I didn't want them, it's that I was afraid."

"Why?"

Melody brought her gaze to her husband, staring at him nervously.

"Let's just say there used to be a little demon in the pack. That said demon has gotten much better as she aged, but Melody still holds a grudge," her father confided.

"Oh! Who was it dad? I promise I won't tell I'll keep it a secret!" Eric begged, jumping up and down practically making the whole floor vibrate.

Her mother grimaced while her father rubbed sheepishly at his hair. "It was Annabelle."

Susanna's nail polish tipped over.

"You're lying! Anabelle is amazing! She's a great person and she teaches me important things all the time!" Susanna defended vehemently.

"What? Like how to put in hair gel?" Kevin snickered.

"No," she said, pointing her nose in the air. "Like how to make fish tail braids and to match bright orange with other colors. Do you _know_ how hard it is to do that when you simply don't want to take the easy way out and use black or white?"

Kevin just rolled his eyes, clearly the joke was lost on his up-tight sister.

"What? Does Gareth like your bright orange?" seven year old Eric asked curiously.

Susanna blushed deeply, her cheeks burning before shyly glancing at her parents. "I don't know what you're talking about," she denied.

"What do you mean? I heard you tell Emilia Sue that you liked Gareth," Lanna supplied innocently.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Susanna screeched.

"Oh this is great!" Kevin crowed. "Do you really think a sixteen year old would like a dumpy twelve year old like you?"

"If I did happen to like him, which I don't, Gareth would be lucky to have me!"

"You're delusional!"

"SHUT UP!"

"That's enough!" their father bellowed, making them both jump. Their dad's voice was scary when he shouted. It always became really deep and guttural, and frightened her friends away.

Susanna furiously went back to her nail painting.

"Don't worry," her mother whispered conspiratorially in her ear. "When you get a little older I'll teach you all you need to know."

Collin looked at Melody as if she were sin itself.

"You will do no such thing."

"I don't know what you're talking about?" their mother said airily, giving Susanna a wink.

"Wait, you know how to flirt mom?" Eric piped in.

"Sweet heart, do I ever," she grinned, leaning toward him and placing a kiss on his forehead.

"But you're old," Kevin said distastefully, his nose wrinkling up.

"Sweetheart I'm thirty-six years young," their mother said, daring him with her eyes to say otherwise.

"Your mother is beautiful." Their father wrapped his arms around Melody's waist, placing a loud kiss on her neck. All the kids grimaced, averting their eyes to the nearest wall.

"Eww," Kevin screeched, shielding his face in acute horror. "I need to bleach my eyes now."

"I wouldn't recommend that," their mother pipped in. "Sounds pretty painful."

Kevin only sighed, pouting at the table.

"Mama, mama, mama," the youngest shouted, racing over to Collin and Melody and jumping into her father's arms. "Look what I found! A picture of you when you were younger!"

Melody leaned down, taking the picture out of Lanna's hand. "That was fourteen years ago," she said finally, lost in thought. "It was around the time me and your father got together."

"Yeah," he muttered. "Finally got together."

"Oh, hush. Everything worked out," she said, shrugging him off.

"I want to see!" Kevin shouted excitedly, yanking the picture out of his mother's hands. "You've gotten fat."

"Mommy isn't fat," Lanna whispered defensively, her lips down in a pout and brows furrowed in displeasure.

"Your mother is beautiful," Collin repeated.

"Let's see you birth four kids and see what you look like," Melody grumbled in irritation. "That was me twenty pounds lighter."

"I want a lot of babies too," Susanna said dreamily, thinking of Gareth and his muscles and how sweet he was. He was going to be her future husband, she just knew it. So what if he didn't imprint on her, she should get preference just for being a pack girl.

"What?" her mother laughs. "You want stretch marks and little monsters like your brother?"

Susanna's eyes narrowed. "I'd rather die than have a little Kevin."

"Yeah, your mother said something similar ages ago," Collin muttered between his lips, earning an elbow in the side from his wife.

"Whatever," Kevin huffed out, crossing his arms across his chest. "Can I go over to Anton's house?"

Anton was one of Mila and Embry's five kids. Mila had started out wanting nine, but Embry had talked her down to four. After a few years Mila managed to convince him to have one more. They had the most kids in the pack. One of them even shifted, two if you count Akilina and her odd wolf situation.

"No, we're going to have dinner soon," his mother dismissed.

Kevin sighed loudly, keeping his comments to himself but showing clearly what he thought of that with his actions.

"Don't be a douche," Eric said loudly, frowning at Kevin.

"Eric, who taught you that word?" Melody asked severely, her hands on her hips with a scowl on her face.

"I, uh… why? Is it a bad word?" There was no way he was going to get his best friend Mateo in trouble. Aunt Natalie was frightening when she was mad. Eric made it a point to get out as fast as he could when she was angry. If his mom told Uncle David then Mateo would be fine, but Uncle David's wife Natalie would probably ground Mateo for a month _and_ get a mouthful. She usually shouted it in Spanish too, which somehow made everything even scarier. He never understood a word, but from the winces Mateo made he was glad he couldn't.

"That's a horrible word Eric, and I don't want to hear it again," his mother said pointedly.

He nodded quickly, glad for the subject to be dropped so easily. But then again she would probably try to sneak it out of him. His mom always waited for his guard to be down before getting to the really important questions. She was sneaky like that.

"Is Uncle Jake really coming?" Kevin asked.

Collin frowned, pulling a chair up and sitting at the table. "That's the plan."

"Who is Uncle Jake?" Lanna asked innocently.

"Someone that you're probably going to meet very soon," he answered, poking her lightly on the nose and making her giggle.

Melody brought the dinner to the table, musing Eric's hair before sitting down herself. Melody wasn't sure where her oldest child got her personality from. Suzy got her love of fashion from her mother, but even Melody had not been that bad. The second oldest, Kevin, was barely home. He was always at someone's house, probably because he wanted to avoid his sister Suzy. They had never liked each other much, no matter what she or her husband did to try to remedy that. Her youngest two were sweeter, although sometimes Eric liked to repeat things he really shouldn't. Lanna was the perfect daughter, loving and kind. She was always making little things for her parents and saying how much she loved them. Melody looked over her family sitting at the table, and felt pride.

This road had not been easy for them. Collin had to beg Melody to marry him for over a year before she agreed, and then he couldn't get her to agree to have a child. Suzy was a little surprise, and Melody felt such trepidation during her pregnancy. All those what if's ran through her head. She had been afraid she would be a bad mother, and make an unstable home for her child. She worried that her little bean would one day grow to hate her, or not like the fact that Melody's parents wouldn't really be in their lives. Melody's first step to functionalism was to stop smoking. She had to. She couldn't chance it just because she wanted to take the edge off. Of course, this made her completely miserable during her pregnancy; but it was worth it. Especially when she finally got to hold her daughter in her arms.

Three years later she had Kevin, and two years after that Eric. She had hoped they would form some type of bond with them both being boys and close to age, but they ignored each other for the most part. Eric was actually closer to Lanna, their youngest girl, than any of his other siblings. They played with each other often, and he was very protective of her. At four she was as adorable as could be, and even had a little entourage of young boys following her around. It was safe to say Eric highly disliked this, and Collin only encouraged his behavior towards Lanna's 'friends.' Collin couldn't fight a bunch of four year old's, but when a seven year old scared them off it didn't look as bad.

Melody chewed carefully, bringing her gaze up to the painting on the wall. A few years into their marriage Collin had finally held up her promise and gifted her with his artwork. Almost in the middle was a dirt pathway that curved where it pleased. Trees were on the sides, and a blurry figure was far in the distance. When Melody asked about it he told her that it was the path leading to her. The road was unpredictable, with many things blocking the way. Sometimes the pathway had grass growing over it and he would lose his way, other times there were distractions on the sides. But in the end he got there, and every step he took had been worth it, because he got to her.

* * *

Thank you all so much for your support of my story, especially for everyone that reviewed, followed, or favorited! Reading reviews always gives me a lot of feedback, one reviewer even inspired me when I started working on a new story I'm currently writing. I'd also like to thank my beta Nameless-dono for sticking with me to the very end! It means a lot to me and you gave me a lot of great feedback.

When I started writing this I didn't think it would be so long. I thought it would be like my other short stories. But once I began I knew I couldn't rush things with Melody. Her feelings weren't magical, and it wasn't like she would be able to accept a switch in feelings overnight. She was the type to think over her feelings, attempting to understand before accepting them. So it ended up being a lot longer than I thought.

Melody wasn't perfect either, and didn't always strive to do the right thing. Sometimes she just chose whatever was easier for her. I wasn't sure how people would react to her, since she wasn't inherently a good person. She had to work really hard to be better, and then when she got better she somehow always took a step back. Sometimes she didn't even want to be better, but she loved Collin enough to try. Collin gave her that push, and when she begins to see things clearly she could continue.

I also had never done so many point of view's in one story before. I normally do two: the imprint and the imprinter. But for some reason a lot more popped into it. I felt like I needed to add Emily and Brady's point of view to help people understand more, which it did help I think. Normally things would be revealed eventually, but Melody doesn't really pry and the information I wanted to convey doesn't really come up in day to day conversation, so I did it this way.

If anyone is interested in reading more from me I'm writing a Nessie and Jacob fanfic. Currently I have two chapters out on it. I finally started jotting down plots for a Claire/Quil one I'm planning. It's been in my head for about two weeks now and I needed more details before actually writing it. On the side is a HP fanfic too, although I haven't began posting that yet either. I'm currently searching for a beta for both stories if anyone is interested.


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